African players at Russian club FC Rostov refused to train yesterday after their coach said on Friday that he would not sign any more black players.

Igor Gamula was asked on Friday if he was going to sign a Cameroon defender Benoit Angbwa and replied by saying he had “enough dark-skinned players, we’ve got six of the things.”

The agent Paul Mitchell confirmed yesterday that five of the club’s African players “are not prepared to train under the current coach until such time as the situation has been dealt with.” 

Gamula sparked more controversy in the media on Friday when went on to “joke” that the the club had been hit with the Ebola virus. Five of his Russian players were ill with a high temperature going into Friday night’s match when he said: “I’m already worrying it’s Ebola,” before adding that the reference to the disease was “a joke, obviously.”