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Football

12th Jun 2016

Watch: Russian sports minister cheers on fans as carnage unfolds metres away in the stands

Maybe he was celebrating the equaliser

Robert Redmond

Maybe he was celebrating the equaliser.

Vitaly Mutko really doesn’t help himself. The Russian sports minister attempted to convince the world that there were no serious disturbances at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday night.

Russian fans could be seen breaking through a parameter set by stewards in the stadium, and charging towards fleeing England supporters, many of whom were families, and not the element who had been causing mayhem in the city over the previous three days.

However, this footage makes it difficult to believe Mutko’s already deluded view that there was no rioting – as there are Russian supporters being grappled by security just a few feet from the sports minister.

Mutko is behind the goal, saluting the crowd following Vasili Berezutski late equaliser, but we’re sure he didn’t see any of the unpleasantness, because, as he stated:

“There was no clash… that’s being exaggerated.”

However, Uefa may have a word with Mutko when the hearing into disciplinary action against the Russian FA begins.

https://twitter.com/Chris_Alexandr/status/741947126121435136

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