Russia must curb hooligans

Piecemeal gestures like this broadly mirror a Munich-style capitulation, being mindful of Russia’s rather muscular politico-military adventurism abroad that partly, one suspects, makes up for the humiliation of Moscow losing the Cold War, now also represented by so-called “supporters”.

Already reeling from a doping scandal, the Russian authorities appear to be seeking to deflect responsibility by blaming the French security apparatus for seemingly woeful policing. The likes of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, however, conveniently ignore the fact that France has a significant and potentially much more serious terrorist threat to contemplate in the wake of recent atrocities there. In this context, Lavrov’s excuses are hollow and baseless.

I would be among the last to excuse the behaviour of England fans in previous tournaments. Some of my countrymen plainly have a great deal to answer for. To improve your conduct, though, you must first recognise shortcomings and take measures to avoid a recurrence. It takes time to “educate” people on the pointlessness of gratuitous violence. Considering that Russia has “acquired” the 2018 World Cup, one hopes it makes the effort.

Derek Darke