Zenit St. Petersburg striker Alexander Kerzhakov will escape punishment over a collision with Spartak Moscow's Andriy Dikan that smashed several bones in the goalkeeper's face, the Russian FA announced Wednesday.
Kerzhakov’s knee hit Dikan’s face during Zenit’s 2-1 win over Spartak last month, leaving the goalkeeper with a broken cheekbone, a broken and dislocated jaw and concussion.
Dikan played on for ten minutes, but was substituted after Kerzhakov scored a penalty against him. He was hospitalized and then flew to Germany, where he had surgery on Wednesday.
Spartak appealed to the Russian Football Union's Disciplinary Committee earlier this month asking to ban Kerzhakov, but the request was refused.
"We have been carefully examining the dynamics of Kerzhakov and Dikan movements in replays," said committee chairman Vladimir Katkov.
"We came to the conclusion that Kerzhakov didn't mean to injure his opponent. The distance between the players was so small that it was too difficult to avoid a collision."
In September, Spartak's Brazilian striker Welliton received a six-match ban, halved on appeal, for clattering into CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev during an August league match.
The Russia international goalkeeper was carried away with ligament rupture that threatens his participation in Euro 2012.
Spartak coach Valery Karpin complained that his players were getting singled out for punishment, claiming a "plot" against the club.
A Spartak statement Wednesday said Dikan's operation was a success, and that he would remain under observation in a Karlsruhe clinic for the next three days.
