Organisers claim 170 people tried to run on field at World Cup

Two months after the World Cup final was disrupted by four members of the Pussy Riot protest group running onto the field, the head of the local organizing committee claimed security stopped 170 others from doing the same during the tournament.

Organizing committee CEO Alexei Sorokin spoke publicly on Tuesday about the huge number of potential security breaches for the first time.

Sorokin did not talk about Pussy Riot member Pyotr Verzilov, who is ill and claims he was poisoned. He and the three other members of the group served 15-day jail sentences for running onto the field during the match between France and Croatia on July 15.

Local organizers are responsible for stadium security at World Cups. In Russia, the organizers made no mention of the thwarted field invasions during the 64game tournament.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while the local organizing committee declined to comment.

Russian law enforcement strived to present a tolerant image during the World Cup, but police have already shown less tolerance against protesters since the tournament ended.

Sorokin also said attendance numbers at the World Cup were one of the good "surprises" for organizers, and called the implementation of Fan IDs one of the most successful achievements by the hosts.

Sorokin said the World Cup was a boost for Russia and its soccer community.

In domestic soccer, Sorokin said attendance numbers doubled after the World Cup compared with the 2015-16 season.