Latest news Russia will be disqualified from Euro 2016 if there is further crowd trouble at their remaining matches. Uefa, European football's governing body, has given Russia a suspended disqualification and a 150,000 euro (£119,000) fine for disorder at the game against England in Marseille. Russia were also charged for fan racism and lighting fireworks at the match. Time to remove the 2018 World Cup from Russia. How we can let fans travel to Russia with all the potential threats is unbelievable
That time has been and gone. All of these things would have been well know problems during the bidding process but ignored for bags stuffed with cash. Too many people to get burned if they try to take it from the Russians. Not just by being outed for corruption, but a spoon of polonium in their cuppa! Bah!
Some of the comments coming from senior politicians about it are frankly laughable too. This from a Russian MP: "I don't see anything wrong with fans fighting, quite the opposite, the guys did well. Keep it up! I don't understand those politicians and officials who are criticising our fans. We should defend them, and then we can sort it out when they come home. What happened in Marseille and in other French towns is not the fault of fans, but about the inability of police to organise this kind of event properly." The head of the Russian Intelligence Agency has also said that the French police are soft and only used to dealing with "gay parades", and not "real men". Reading comments from Russian fans describing it as "Good old street violence" makes it sound like they're from "A clockwork orange", not 21st century Europe.
I see Alan Green, senior football commentator for the BBC for 30 years-ish has said he's not prepared to travel to Russia for the 2018 tournament. And he won't be the only one to adopt that stance. Too late to change it, I suspect as the infrastructure, transport links, stadia improvements etc are presumably well under way, but the decision to award a finals to Qatar could still be overturned? Doesn't help the hundreds of migrant 'slave labour' workers involved in the project who have already lost their lives through appalling H & S regs, though
And as the good General alludes to, they've got two years to fine tune and hone their "skills" before people troop into Russia in two years for the next tournament - like lambs to the slaughter if this is not severely dealt with and stamped out ASAP.
Why is it too late?? I still maintain that all countries who qualify should boycott 2018 and not turn up. Loss of face to Putin and his cronnies would be devistating. We have to make a stand against Russia before it's too late
Ronaldo throwing his toys out the pram. He wouldn't shake hands with the Iceland players because they were too defensive and have no ambition "You would have thought they had won the competition the way they celebrated"! What a ****er!
Ronaldo has always been a self obsessed, winker from another planet. Boohoo so the team from the least populous nation in the competition brought a stiffling tactic, you might think that was to be expected (Surely your manager had you practicing and tactically ready for this most likely of approaches?), that you and your boys lacked the quality to beat them is your own failing Mr Portugal! Bah!
Quite a remarkable performance from Iceland. Their population equates to Norwich plus Yarmouth plus Kings Lynn and about a third of that of Norfolk. Their support at last nights match was 10% of their population!
He should learn some humility. I've yet to be impressed by him in a major tournament, against a defensive side or otherwise. As the Portuguese would say, he was 'merda' last night!
Ronaldo is a typical arrogant,full of himself,****er. His only contribution last night was to prance around, miss 2 good chances and refuse to shake hands after the game. TOSSER