Igor Akinfeev had to be stretchered off the pitch after being struck by the flare.
The Russian goalkeeper was hit by the missile in the first minute of last night’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Montenegro and the game was halted for 35 minutes while Akinfeev received treatment.
Footage of the incident appeared last night, however another, more intimate video surfaced today. The person recording the clip below was just feet from the person who threw the flare at the goalkeeper.
There’s no sound, but you can clearly see members of the crowd light the flare, before it’s tossed at Akinfeev, who immediately drops to the ground and rolls around, holding his head. Scary stuff.
Some members of the crowd appeared shocked at the incident, and look towards the area the flare came from.
The match was eventually suspended following a brawl between opposing players and staff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaqgKU3eoUA
