The Investigating Department of the Republic of Chechnya has refused to initiate a criminal case into the beating of FC Krasnodar player, Spartak Gogniev, during a match against Terek Grozny reserves in November last year.

­According to police, investigations made at the request of the All-Russian Footballers’ Union did not reveal any criminal acts in the actions of those who assaulted the player.

Another reason for the refusal is that Gogniev himself decided not to file any legal claims against his abusers.

“Everyone saw what happened at the stadium and, in my opinion, the fact that Gogniev was beaten up cannot be doubted,” Aleksandr Zotov, the general director of the All-Russian Footballers’ Union, told Gazeta.ru. “We have sent our request not to establish the fact of the crime, but for those responsible to be punished. The investigators just made a few unsuccessful attempts and now we get such an answer, which we are surely going to appeal against at a federal level."

The incident took place during the match between the reserve teams of Russian Premier League sides Terek Grozny and FC Krasnodar, which took place in the Chechen capital on November 4.

After being sent off for a second yellow card, the angry FC Krasnodar captain Spartak Gogniev pushed away the referee and started an argument with the opposing team’s players.

At the edge of the pitch, he was attacked by a group of people, which included Terek staff, local fans and stadium security.

Gogniev managed to escape into the players’ tunnel, but there he was apprehended by a group of men dressed in police uniforms, who proceeded to beat him with batons.

The 30-year-old suffered concussion and his nose and several ribs were broken as a result of the attack.

The incident was caught on tape and attracted huge media attention, with football’s World Players’ Union (FIFPro) forwarding the footage to FIFA and UEFA.