A group of Three Lions’ fans outside the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow did not seem overcome with despondency in the wake of their team’s loss to Croatia, using the defeat as an impromptu opportunity to go on air with RT.
Saying that the atmosphere in Moscow was more buoyant than during the other semi-final game the night before in St. Petersburg, RT’s Alexey Yaroshevsky received immediate confirmation of this when a group of chanting fans stepped into view.
“You don’t see despair here, you see pride,” said the correspondent, trying to save the moment, before the microphone was torn away from him by a fan, who managed to sneak in a cheeky split-second two-fingered salute to the millions watching at home.
Realizing that he had lost control like England in the second half against the Croats, Yaroshevsky simply handed the microphone to the gatecrashers and let them sing to their hearts’ content... at least until the same fan decided to take it too far by shouting "F**k!" prompting a string of apologies from the reporter.
But Yaroshevsky didn't get angry, simply getting on with his broadcast. After all, tonight of all nights England fans probably deserve a little leeway.