Johnson fear over fans
ENGLAND supporters faced fresh peril last night after Russia kicked out the official tasked with keeping them safe at the World Cup.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the fan safety officer was among 23 diplomats shown the door by Moscow in tit-for-tat expulsions following the Salisbury nerve agent attack.
Mr Johnson said the move had wrecked the Government’s plans to offer assistance to 24,000 Three Lions’ supporters set to travel to Russia for the tournament this summer. He said: “You can’t imagine anything more counter-productive to the UK’s ability to help fans in Russia.’’
Mr Johnson stopped short of advising fans not to travel but added that the situation was being monitored “very, very closely”.
He said he was now “deeply concerned” at how England fans would be treated and he also warned the Russians that they had a “duty” to guarantee supporters’ safety.
Ambush
Mr Johnson added: “At the moment we are not inclined actively to dissuade people from going because we want to hear from the Russians what steps they are going to take to look after our fans.’’
Even before the novichok poisoning of double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, in Wiltshire a fortnight ago, officials were worried England supporters could be targeted by Russian hooligans.
Baton-toting ultras – so named because of their ultra-fanatical support – left two fans in comas after an ambush in Marseille before a group match against Russia at Euro 2016. Mr Johnson added: “My challenge to the Russian authorities is to show how the 24,000 UK applicants for tickets to the World Cup are going to be well treated, are going to be safe.’’
He also agreed there was a sickening possibility the tournament would be similar to the Nazi’s Berlin Olympics.
Labour MP Ian Austin asked at the Foreign Affairs committee if Mr Johnson thought President Vladimir Putin planned to use it “in the way Hitler used the 1936 Olympics” as a propaganda exercise.
Mr Johnson replied: “I think it’s an emetic prospect, frankly, to think of Putin glorying in this sporting event.’’
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “Such parallels are unacceptable and are beneath the head of a diplomatic body of a European state.”