Governing body Uefa has fined the Russian Football Union €150,000 (£119,000) and warned that any repeat of their fighting, racism or use of pyrotechnics would see the team kicked out of the tournament.
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Russian fans celebrated Saturday’s draw by firing flares, storming England supporters and wreaking general mayhem inside the stadium, an extension of the violent fan clashes that preceded the match on the streets of Marseille.
The UEFA disciplinary commission decision said this disqualification is suspended until the end of the tournament.
At the final whistle of Saturday’s match, several hundred people sitting in an area of Marseille’s Stade Velodrome reserved for Russian fans stormed into an area for England supporters.
In a letter to members of the England Supporters Travel Club, Glenn wrote: “We recognise that some of you were subjected to acts of violence from rival supporters in the stadium last weekend”. Five England fans have so far been sentenced to jail terms of between one and three months, while a Frenchman received a two-year term.
According to French prosecutors, 150 Russians “well prepared for ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action” were involved.
UEFA has also warned England it could be disqualified if there is more trouble, but only Russian Federation was charged over the conduct of its fans.
The England fan, wearing a Rooney shirt, was seen being led away in handcuffs by police as tensions rose briefly in the city centre.
Some 65,000 English, Welsh and Russian supporters are expected to flood into the northern city of Lille and neighbouring Lens, creating a security headache.
The security operation in Lens, which one local official said would be “in lockdown”, will be boosted by additional British police officers and also by British Transport Police, who will extend patrols from Eurostar trains to local rail services.
Some British newspapers have reported that Russian “firms” issued threats to England fans well before the tournament. “We are not going anywhere for the time being and are waiting for the consul”.
England fans, particularly those without match tickets, had previously been advised to stay in Lille because Lens is so small, Mr Dyke explained.
The violence in the stadium followed three days of clashes between English, Russian and French fans in the Mediterranean port city that drew a strong response from riot police. We acknowledge UEFA’s ruling against the Russian Football Union today.
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“These verifications have been carried out on the basis of intelligence … leading us to think they were present in Marseille”, said Xavier Lauch, cabinet director of the prefect of the Alpes Maritimes department. A number of the fans are now in a stand-off with police, who stopped their bus as they prepared to travel to Russia’s next match.
