UEFA ‘condemns’ Marseille fan violence
There were also scuffles between visiting fans and locals, with some wielding cafe tables as weapons, in a third day of violence in the narrow streets leading off Marseille’s Vieux Port (Old Port). Russian Federation is now even with England at 1-1.
Shortly before the final whistle, Russian fans appeared to seize a power cable running around the front of the stand. A group then attacked nearby English supporters.
England fans fled for the exits in panic.
Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko dismissed any concerns about the clashes reportedly being instigated by Russian fans, telling reporters, “What’s the 2018 World Cup got to do with it?”
“It’s not everybody but there are a lot of people involved”, Toal said.
But earlier she said: “About 300 youths stormed down here and within seconds the atmosphere changed”.
The Russian fans are assisted by French fans who jointly attacked the English.
Rival fans threw bottles and chairs at each other, as small groups of fans bull rushed and encircled their opponents during a series of disorganized melees. Alli feeds another barnstorming run from Walker who cuts it into the path of Lallana, but the Liverpool man drills his shot a yard or so wide of the far post.
There had been no damage to local property, they said.
Fist fights broke out between English and French-speaking men, with one man being thrown into the harbour after being beaten.
“But we came through that and the wonder free-kick from Eric Dier was a result of us having so much possession in their half”.
“There are a lot of good things in our performance tonight. It will be very, very not good”.
At least 31 people were injured Saturday, four critically, in the clashes, said Mathieu Duroselle, spokesman for Marseille police.
Another official said five people had been injured.
The trouble, which initially centered on the Old Port area of the city, with police frequently firing tear gas to disperse groups, continued to the area surrounding the stadium in the hours before Saturday’s 9pm kickoff (NZT Sunday 7am), with water canon and dogs used to again separate rival groups.
England fans were forced to scale fences to escape the charge, while shocking pictures of a father trying to protect his young son while masked Russian fans were kicking and punching retreating fans around him went viral and left fans fuming at the authorities’ failure to intervene.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) released a statement saying it will make an announcement Sunday regarding disciplinary proceedings, after they have “received information from our disciplinary department”.
British police would work closely with their French counterparts in Marseille and would seek banning orders for any England fans causing trouble, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts said. Reports of unrest from other cities across France also emerged.