RUSSIA STAR BLAMES BRIT FANS FOR FIGHT
RUSSIA forward Fyodor Smolov has fanned the flames ahead of facing Wales by claiming his country’s supporters only started fighting after provocation by British fans. Smolov also refused to criticise the hooligans who rampaged through Marseille ahead of the England game and said that any Russians looking to ‘scrap’ at tonight’s Wales match should do so away from the Stadium de Toulouse. Their final group game in the southern French city has been upgraded to ‘high-risk‘ following violent scenes in Marseille and Lille, with more than 600 extra police officers drafted in, adding to 1,500 already due on duty. Cars heading into Toulouse were being stopped and searched at the final toll checkpoint. French prosecutors blamed a hardcore of ‘extremely welltrained’ and ‘hyper-violent’ Russia fans for much of the violence that erupted in Marseille and UEFA issued a suspended disqualification on the nation’s side for attacks at the Stade Velodrome. Smolov was asked whether he would condemn those scenes in light of Croatia’s players criticising their fans throwing flares during the Czech Republic game, but he claimed: ‘I read those interviews, but I’d like the supporters to go on backing us. ‘As for everything that goes on around us, there’s a number of videos that have been uploaded on the web and, clearly, the English really did provoke them, and indeed the Welsh fans. ‘Clearly, these events must not go on in football stands but, if people really want to go out with the intention of scrapping, they should fight elsewhere. They shouldn’t do so in the stadium, we want to have support in the stadium around us. UEFA admit they are powerless to stop fans sneaking banned flares into Euro 2016 stadiums, as Sportsmail can reveal they can be purchased online for less than £2. Fan trouble has continued to hang over the tournament and they have managed to sneak the pyrotechnics into several of the matches, despite the devices being prohibited and at a time when there is a real threat of a terrorist trying to detonate a bomb during a game. Sportsmail understands that Russian fans swamped security check points ahead of playing England in Marseille to ensure they got flares, fireworks and smoke bombs in the stands. Russians fired flares at England supporters in ugly scenes. One England fan also told Sportsmail that security was so lax at Stade Velodrome that some bags were barely checked and smartphone battery packs went unregistered in pockets. Volunteer stewards have been used regularly as policing is stretched in a country on high alert due to recent terror attacks. Although thorough bag and body searches are supposed to be conducted on entry to stadiums, a flare is a relatively small item prior to being lit. A French supporter even snuck one into a Nice fan zone in his rectum. The 18-year-old accidentally ignited it, severely burning himself and two other fans and faces prosecution. A UEFA statement said: ‘There have been a few incidents involving the setting off of fireworks inside stadiums during the tournament. Despite thorough body and bag searches at the stadium entrances, it is extremely difficult to completely eliminate the risk that fireworks are brought into the stadiums.’