Kazan: Graveyard of champs

KAZAN:Kazan’s official participation in the World Cup was coming to an end on Saturday as the Brazil squad made their way to the airport for the long flight home and their fans consoled each other over beers on the streets of the Tatarstan capital.

The Selecao’s quarter-final exit at the hands of Belgium in the last of the six matches in the city on Friday night ensured this would be the first World Cup without at least one of Brazil, Argentina or Germany in the semi-finals. Remarkably, all three of the soccer superpowers, who have won 11 World Cups between them, bowed out of the tournament at the Kazan Arena.

First to go were defending champions Germany, beaten 2-0 by South Korea to finish bottom of their group in a match that certainly made up for in late drama what it lacked in quality.

Next to depart were Lionel Messi’s Argentina, who were overwhelmed by the pace of Kylian Mbappe and 4-3 losers to France in thrilling last-16 clash.

Finally, it was the turn of the Brazilians, unpicked early by the counter-attacking of Belgium’s richly talented side and unable to quite clamber back into the contest. If it was a rude ending for the fans they at least got the chance to spend time in Kazan, a city that must rank among the more surprising secrets Russia has revealed to the world.

The city, which has a reputation for harmony largely because of the way equal numbers of Muslim Tatars and Orthodox Russians have managed to rub along for centuries, welcomed throngs of foreign fans to their bars and restaurants with open arms.