Authorities take action: fan leader denied entry

Moscow – Russian fan leader Alexander Shprygin has been barred from the Confederations Cup before the opening match in St Petersburg on Saturday which saw the hosts beat New Zealand 2-0.

The issue of hooliganism is a major concern for organisers after ugly clashes between Russian and English fans at the European Championship in Marseille last summer.

Shprygin, who was twice deported from France last year during Euro 2016, said he had been notified by organisers that his fan-ID, needed to attend matches, had been cancelled.

“Two hours before the match I received an e-mail which said my Fan ID had been cancelled, which means I was barred from entering the stadium,” Shprygin told AFP.

“I had travelled almost 500km to watch the match, I paid 8 000 rubles (€123) for a ticket I couldn’t use.” –