The president of Lokomotiv Moscow, whose fans stand accused of throwing a banana at Anzhi defender Christopher Samba, suggested to RIA Novosti on Monday that it was a setup to discredit her club as racist.
The Congolese player targeted by a fan at the end of Sunday's match between the two teams in Moscow. It was the latest example of racism to taint the game in Russia, the host of the 2018 World Cup.
Anzhi have set up a task force to investigate the incident, which they have described as "idiotic" and "disappointing."
The Sovetsky Sport newspaper published a photograph purporting to show Samba holding a banana after the game.
But Olga Smorodskaya, Lokomotiv's club president, said a study of video footage from the game showed no evidence that any banana was thrown. "I didn't see anything," she added.
Anzhi's Roberto Carlos has twice suffered banana-related incidents during league games in Russia this season.
"I would like to bring to people's attention that all these banana stories happen only with one club," Smorodskaya said. "No-one saw anything. If this event actually took place, then it was done surreptitiously. It all looks like a provocation. I don't know on whose part."
Smorodskaya vowed to take sanctions "if the incident is proven to have occurred."
"We won't hide anything and we will absolutely punish the guilty."
Both the league and the Russian Football Union have vowed to investigate independently.
Smorodskaya defended the club's reputation, saying: "We have a lot of dark-skinned players, and have never had anything of this kind."
In 2010, Lokomotiv fans held up a huge banner with a cartoon banana and the slogan "Thanks, West Brom," in striker Peter Odemwingie's last game for the club before leaving for the English Premier League side.
