Reds urged to behave on mission to Moscow
CSKA Moscow supporters light flares at the Arena Khimki Stadium, Khimki, Russia. Photo: Epsilon/Getty Images
Manchester United and Liverpool supporters heading to Moscow for this week's Champions League fixtures have been warned that they will face harsh penalties should crowd trouble erupt in the Russian capital.
The head of the Russian Football Union's security committee, Vladimir Markin, suggested that English fans would face extended prison sentences in "conditions they will not like" if problems arise when United and Liverpool face CSKA and Spartak Moscow, respectively.
A little under 2,000 fans are expected from Liverpool and Manchester, with UEFA seeing no reason to keep the north-west rivals apart as they head to the same city.
Spartak and CSKA have come under scrutiny for their own recent problems with hooligan elements, but the authorities have turned the focus on the travelling fans, with Liverpool playing tonight and United tomorrow.
"I don't want to scare anyone but I warn those who plan to come here not to support their side and see the country but to commit hooliganism: the law is the same for all, not just for Russians," Markin told the Tass state news agency.
"Those who break it will face a suitable punishment, possibly in the form of a long stay in Russia, in conditions that our guests won't like." (© Daily Telegraph, London)
