PROFESSIONAL football players have to put up with hostile crowds, angry coaches and scathing stories in the press no matter where they play. But in eastern Europe they live with more serious forms of abuse. According to a survey of more than 3,000 professionals in the region conducted by FIFPro, a players' union, around 12% of players in eastern Europe have been victims of violence, perpetrated mainly by fans, coaches and managers. In a 180-page “black book” published in February, based on its survey findings, FIFPro describes a “terrifying lack of respect” for players. The safety of professionals playing in eastern Europe has become a major concern for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the sport's governing body in Europe. At the organisation's annual meeting in late March, Michel Platini, its president, noted in his speech to delegates that in some countries “players sign or terminate contracts under pressure or threats”. More must be done “to protect the players, without whom there would be no football,” he declared. Yet with corruption and lawlessness endemic in some countries in the region, UEFA's task looks Herculean. One of the best-documented cases of violence involved Spartak Gogniev, a 31-year-old Russian striker who played for FC Krasnodar, a Russian club, until earlier this year. Last November Mr Gogniev was sent off by the referee during a match in Chechnya between FC Krasnodar's reserve side and Terek Grozny. While walking down the tunnel from the pitch to the changing room, he was attacked by men wearing police and Terek team uniforms. The assault left Mr Gogniev with a broken nose and ribs. The Russian Football Union (RFU), football's governing body in Russia, fined Terek Grozny just 500,000 roubles ($17,000) for failing to provide security to Mr Gogniev. Even though RFU also banned the club's administrator and reserve coach from the game for a year, FIFPro called the mild sanctions “unacceptable”. In another high-profile case, staff at FC Kuban, another Russian club also based in Krasnodar, threatened to injure Nikola Nikezic, a Montenegrin footballer, for refusing to end his contract with the club. Two men—one of whom was carrying a gun—beat and strangled Mr Nikezic at the club's premises in March 2011 until he signed papers allowing FC Kuban to get rid of him. Danko Lazovic, a Serbian striker playing for Zenit St Petersburg, is another example: he was shot with a Taser by a police officer in June 2011 after handing his shirt to a fan at the end of a match (pictured).

Such violence is often a reflection of broader social problems. Mr Gogniev's assault took place in a region run like a medieval fiefdom by Ramzan Kadyrov, a militant-for-hire who expediently switched to the Russian side during the wars in Chechnya and was rewarded for that decision with Chechnya's presidency. Mr Kadyrov was also the president of Terek Grozny until he resigned November 2011, reportedly on account of his heavy workload. It is highly likely that he retains a great deal of implicit control over the club.

Despite the violence, Russian clubs have continued to attract international players with the promise of rich rewards. Christopher Samba, a Congolese defender, was recently signed from Blackburn Rovers, a club in England's Premier League, by Russia's Anzhi Makhachala on a deal reportedly worth about £100,000 ($160,000) a week. Yet Mr Samba has already complained of racial abuse by Russian football fans. If that dissuades other players from following in his footsteps, it may send a message out to authorities about the need for change. Indeed, in the wake of Mr Samba's complaint, the RFU announced the establishment of a special working group designed to root out “racism, xenophobia and extremism”.

Violence is one of many “scourges” of eastern European football, according to Mr Platini, alongside match-fixing, doping, player trafficking and illegal betting. UEFA says it is putting its full efforts into cleaning up the game. But Philippe Piat, the vice-president of FIFPro, has warned there is a long way to go, even if “we have taken the first step” towards improvement. Football may be the beautiful game, but it is far less beautiful in eastern Europe than anywhere else.