Deported Russians vow to return for crunch match

A GROUP of 20 suspected Russian football hooligans have warned they plan to return to France for tomorrow’s crunch clash with Wales – despite being deported.

The group were booted out of the country after French police accused them of being involved in trouble at Euro 2016. They were being held in a closed-off area at Nice airport ahead of a scheduled flight to Moscow yesterday afternoon.

But, despite their impending removal from France, Alexander Shprygin, the leader of a Russian fan group who is among the 20 to be deported, said he had been told their visas would not be cancelled and all plan to return to France for the match against Wales.

The 20 were part of a larger group of Russians who were detained by French authorities on Tuesday following violent disorder around Eng- land’s 1-1 draw with Russia.

The fans had been accused by Marseille prefect Stephane Bouillon of “participation in skirmishes linked to the England-Russia game”.

“What has happened to us is a complete outrage,” Shprygin said by phone from the airport, adding the 20 were not involved in any disorder.

Three Russians have already been convicted of offences related to violence and sentenced to prison terms of between one and two years, with the Russian hooligan element described as “hyper violent and hyper rapid” by French authorities.