Dynamo Moscow midfielder Alan Gatagov is considering pursuing criminal charges after fans shot at the players from paintball guns during a training session at the team's base outside the Russian capital.
Supporters have been unhappy for months at their club's worst-ever start to a season, which has left them languishing in 13th in the Russian Premier League with eight defeats in their opening 11 games.
Gatagov, a 21-year-old fringe player under coach Dan Petrescu, said that a group of fans in camouflage arrived at the club's base in Novogorsk on Friday night and unleashed a barrage of paint balls at the players and staff.
"Words fail me," Gatagov said. "What should we do? Should each of us hire a personal bodyguard? I was hit in the back of the head when they shot at us, lots of players were hit," he told R-Sport.
"I didn't even realize what they were shooting with, perhaps paintballs, they were in camouflage and fled pretty quickly. It was vile. Fans should support us, not do this type of thing."
Fans also threw flyers onto the pitch that contained threats directed at some of the club's foreign players.
"I'm still in shock," added the former Lokomotiv Moscow player. "I have a small child at home, we've all got families," he said.
He urged Dynamo to take action to protect its players after the incident, the latest in a string of episodes.
"What if someone got seriously hurt?" Gatagov said. "What would happen then? I will take advice from some people and decide whether to seek prosecution, because this was an attack."
The club had been warned. In late September, several fans fired flares and scrawled graffiti on the street outside the Novogorsk training base, urging the players to cease dishonoring Dynamo’s name.
The flyers read: "If the club and the coaches can't motivate you, then believe us, we will do it."
"We are the supporters and the fans. And our methods will be a little more serious."
Dynamo's next game is away to newly promoted Mordovia Saransk on Sunday.
