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The FSB is conducting ‘intense’ scrutiny of Russian football fans
Russia’s FSB – formerly KGB – is conducting “intense” scrutiny of Russian football fans under strict orders from the Government, according to Alexander Shprygin.
Mr Shprygin is President of the Russian Union of Supporters and was blamed for orchestrating the mob in Marseille at Euro 2016 which left two English fans in comas and dozens injured.
He said: “All the FSB agents are doing now is working on the World Cup.
“They are no longer looking for foreign spies — only football hooligans, under strict orders from the government.
“The hooligans are waiting for the World Cup to be over so things can get back to normal.
President Vladimir Putin’s law enforcement chiefs are determined to avoid a rerun of the Battle of Marseilles fights between Russian and English fans at Euro 2016
Mr Shprygin in The Sun: “Since the violence in Marseille, the situation has changed.
“The police are telephoning hooligans and visiting them at their homes.”
UK Government officials fear aggression could be backed by the Russian state after a senior Russian MP posted on Twitter “Well done lads, keep it up!” following violence at the Euro 2016 in France.
Up to 20,000 fans are expected to travel to Russia, but Britain’s most senior football police officer has warned England fans could be subject to an “extreme level of violence” at the hands of Russian ultras.
However, a documentary released in February revealed thugs were planning another assault on England supporters next summer.
Deputy chief constable Mark Roberts, who will co-ordinate Britain’s policing operation at the World Cup, said there were “risks” in attending the tournament.
He said: “There are risks because if you look back to what happened in Marseille, there were Russian supporters there intent on causing significant disorder and causing significant injury.
“You only have to go on YouTube to see that there is an active hooligan issue in Russia and it generally operates at a pretty extreme level of violence. There clearly is a potential issue.
“The balance to that then is, ‘Do we think the Russian police are going to treat it seriously? Is there a commitment from Russian state to treat it seriously?’
“And I think, everything I’ve seen, the reassurance is there.”
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The FSB are under strict orders from the Government, according to Alexander Shprygin
Only last month, a football fan was killed when his neck was broken in a brutal street fight in Russia between rival ultra groups.
Eduard Samyshkin, 30, a father of one, died from severe injuries in the brawl, according to reports.
The ugly scenes in Novosibirsk came in an arranged fight between fans from Sibir Novosibirsk and Yenisey Krasnoyarsk.
The Sibir hooligans left at least ten of their rivals floored in the late night battle.
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Up to 20,000 fans are expected to travel to Russia
Mr Samyshkin’s death was in Novosibirsk – Russia’s third largest city and the unofficial capital of Siberia – which is not a World Cup venue, but it was an alarm to the Kremlin authorities.
His wife posted a message saying he was “a loving father and the best-ever husband”.
She wrote: “A tragedy happened in our family.”
England plays Tunisia on June 18 in Volgograd then take on Panama on June 24 in Novogrod.
Mr Shprygin added: “There are no hooligans in those three cities anyway, so there is nothing to fear.”
And he had a few tips for the expected 20,000 England fans: “Don’t drink in the night, don’t go to poor areas and don’t look for trouble.”