Strong words.
The UEFA Executive Committee has warned the football associations of England and Russia of additional sanctions, including potential disqualification from Euro 2016, after incidents of violence prior to, and in the aftermath of, their meeting in Marseille on Saturday night.
A number of ugly incidents involving both sets of supporters, as well as groups of locals, occurred before the game in Marseille on Saturday afternoon, while Russian fans could be seen to storm the section of the Stade Velodrome containing the English supporters following the 1-1 draw.
The UEFA Executive Committee has today (Sunday) released a statement expressing its disgust for the violence that occurred in Marseille and has warned of serious sanctions for both sides should there be a repeat of it.
The UEFA Executive Committee Statement reads as follows:
“The UEFA Executive Committee would like to express its disgust for the violent clashes which occurred in the city of Marseille.
“Such unacceptable behaviour by so-called supporters of the national teams of England and Russia has no place in football, a sport we must protect and defend.
“The UEFA Executive Committee has warned both football associations that – irrespective of any decisions taken by the independent disciplinary bodies relating to incidents inside the stadium – it will not hesitate to impose additional sanctions on the Football Association (FA) and the Russian Football Union (RFS), including the potential disqualification of their respective teams from the tournament, should such violence occur again.
“We urge both the FA and the RFS to appeal to their supporters to behave in a responsible and respectful manner.
“We would also like to publicly voice our support for the work of the French authorities and security forces for their efforts to deliver a safe and secure tournament in challenging circumstances.”
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