Yaya Toure has warned Russia that black players may boycott the 2018 World Cup unless it tackles racism in the stands.
The Manchester City skipper says he was the target of monkey chants during his team's 2-1 victory over CSKA Moscow in the Uefa Champions League on Wednesday night.
TV footage showed a group of topless CSKA fans at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium waving their arms and chanting in a way that the Ivory Coast midfielder found "unbelievable".
UEFA have charged the Russian side for their fans' behaviour, although the club denies there was any racism, and they will face a disciplinary hearing on October 30.
Toure, 30, who was wearing a 'No to racism' armband during the match, spoke of his disgust at hearing the chants.
He told Russian news agency RIA Novosti: "If we aren't confident at the World Cup coming to Russia, we don't come."
Russian fans at the game on Wednesday Piara Powar, executive director of European anti-discrimination body FARE and a Fifa anti-discrimination task force member, praised Toure for speaking out.
"Yaya Toure is absolutely right in raising the spectre of African players or players of African heritage not going to the 2018 World Cup - and without them there will not be a World Cup in Russia," he said.
"I wouldn't blame them - in this era players are the most powerful force and if all the players said they are not going there wouldn't be a World Cup, or if there was it would be meaningless."
Powar described Russian club football as "dire" and fuelled by far-right extremists.
FARE has identified banners supporting the Greek far-right party Golden Dawn - which has a swastika-like symbol - being displayed in several stadiums in eastern Europe and in Moscow on Wednesday.
CSKA issued a statement saying they were "surprised and disappointed" by Toure's allegations.
They also quoted their own Ivory Coast player, striker Seydou Doumbia, as saying he did not hear any racist abuse.
"I didn't hear anything like that from the CSKA fans. Yes, they're always noisy in supporting the team, and try to put as much pressure as possible on our opponents, but they wouldn't ever allow themselves to come out with racist chants.
"So my Ivory Coast colleague is clearly exaggerating," he said.
The local organising committee for the 2018 World Cup said in a statement: "All stakeholders in Russian football have made it clear that there is absolutely no place for any type of racial discrimination or abuse in our game."
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