Football hooligans to be barred from entering Russia for FIFA tournaments

Football hooligans will be barred from entering Russia for matches of the 2017 Confederations Cup and 2018 World Cup, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko has said.

"Those having no desire to support their national teams and seeking to come to our country for some other purposes, will not be allowed to enter Russia," Mutko, also the president of the Russian Football Union (RFU), said on Wednesday, reports Tass.

The deputy PM stated that security measures during the world championship would be organised at the highest possible level.

"The security concept of the tournament was approved by the president of Russia," according to Mutko. "Special security headquarters were set up ahead of the tournament."

"I hope that our law enforcers' experience gained during the previous tournaments, including the (2014) Olympic Games in Sochi, will help us to organise a safe tournament," he added.

The Council of Europe, Mutko continued, worked out a special convention, which would have black lists of football hooligans.

"The Council of Europe worked out a special convention and will have lists of hooligans, who will be barred from going to matches in Russia and other countries," Mutko added.

"Such blacklists already exist and our law enforcement bodies work on them."

--IANS

sam/vm