A spike in violence at the Euro 2016 championships in France have forced harsh rhetoric and measures from political and football officials – but looking at the videos of fans clashing in France, one would ask: will one suspended disqualification do the trick?
The most violent clashes took place in Marseille between Russian and English fans, preceding the game on Saturday. The brawls restarted with particular fury right in the stadium immediately after the 1:1 draw.
On Tuesday, the Russian Football Union was fined €150,000 ($168,000) while UEFA also warned that the national team will be expelled from Euro 2016 if Russian fans are involved in more violent episodes.
Media have been reporting how some 150 well-organized Russian fans opposed several thousand Brits and sent them fleeing into the streets around the stadium.
“The French and UEFA will rightly be asking themselves searching questions about how the segregation of fans within the Vélodrome stadium broke down,” UK Home Secretary Theresa May said Monday. The British minister acknowledged, however, that some England fans had also behaved “inexcusably.”
Seven English football fans, three Frenchmen and an Austrian have received prison sentences in France for taking part in the violence. The Russian fans, dubbed “ultra-violent” by Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin, have so far been punished with two arrests, both for pitch invasions and not related to violence on the streets.
But this may change as on Tuesday AFP reported a group of 29 Russian fans were searched in a hotel near Marseille and may be deported. At the same time, a bus with some 50 other supporters going to Lille was stopped on its way with those on the bus also fearing deportation.
While Moscow was clearly not thrilled with the Russian supporters and called on them not to give in to provocations, numerous videos have been posted online highlighting the scale of violence in France.
Like these two, where chairs are flying high between Russian and England supporters:
Or this one, where UK fans are getting a face-full of police teargas:
And this one, where again British fans set a café on fire:
This one, where local French youth get involved in nasty fight with a couple of days ahead of the match involving Russia in Marseille:
This one, where English fans used slogans insulting the Russian president, Vladimir Putin:
This one, reportedly of Polish and Northern Ireland fans clashing in Nice:
And this one, where German fans are purported to be kicking people carrying Ukrainian flags and later taunting them on the streets.
While Russia has already got its suspended disqualification and fine, UEFA is also looking into the violations by Croatia’s and Turkey’s supporters, who set off fires during the match two days ago (Croatia won 1:0).
Meanwhile, France has banned alcohol near Euro 2016 venues. The tournament will finish on July 10.