Deported Russian fan chief blames France for Euro violence

Far-right Russian football fan chief Alexander Shprygin, expelled by France twice in four days over hooligan violence, on Wednesday blamed authorities in the country over the unrest at Euro 2016.

“France totally failed in terms of security during the Euros,” Shprygin told a press conference in Moscow in the wake of his deportation.

“In Marseille there was only one main place, the Old Port, where for three days there were an enormous number of English fans fighting constantly with the locals and police,” he said.

“Finally they attacked the Russian supporters. There were hundreds of French police but they did not do anything.”

Russian fans are at the centre of a French inquiry into disturbances around England’s June 11 game against Russia that left two English supporters fighting for their lives.

Shprygin, who has been linked to Russian far-right causes, was first expelled from France last Saturday along with 19 other Russians over the violence.

Russian diplomats complained to France over the treatment of their fans before the 20 were ordered out.

He was then arrested again on Monday at a Toulouse stadium after returning to the country to try to watch Russia’s 3-0 defeat against Wales and deported.

Shprygin, who heads the Russian supporters association, said that he returned to France from Barcelona on a Schengen visa that had been issued to him by the Slovakian embassy in Moscow.

He also insisted that his organisation had warned the French authorities ahead of time over problems with the ticket distribution at the match in Marseille, where Russian fans broke through stewards to attack England supporters.

“The police ended up completely sleeping at that moment.”