Russian interior ministry confirms fans' arrests

Lviv (Ukraine), June 10 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The Russian interior ministry Sunday confirmed the arrest of eight Russian football fans after brawls in two Polish cities hosting the Euro 2012 matches.

Four were detained for causing $1,000 worth of damage to a Wroclaw bar ahead of Russia's opening-day 4-1 win over the Czech Republic Friday, the ministry said in a statement.

A fight with the Turkish employees of a Warsaw cafe Thursday saw another four Russian supporters arrested and fined 1,000 euros, the statement said.

The ministry statement was released two days after Russian fans assaulted stewards at the municipal stadium in Wroclaw after the Czech Republic game, reportedly leaving four requiring hospital treatment, but it made no mention of the incident.

UEFA announced Friday the Russian Football Union (RFU) would face disciplinary proceedings over crowd disturbances and the use of pyrotechnics.

Separate claims of racist chants directed at Theodor Gebre Selassie, the Czechs' only black player, are to be investigated further.

"The Russian Interior Ministry calls upon all Russia supporters in Poland to comply with public order laws and not to revert to lawless behaviour that negatively influences the image of our country and Russian football," the statement said.

The Russian Football Union condemned the acts of "hooliganism" by its fans.

"There is no place in the stands for those who choose football arenas to declare their personal political and other positions," a website statement said.

"The RFU and the Russian national team ask all genuine supporters not to rise to the provocative actions of hooligans and cooperate fully with match organisers in issues of public safety."

That was a reference to a claim by the official Russian fan club that Polish stewards attempted to detain the wrong man while trying to catch a supporter who had thrown a flare during the game.

It was the reason that the leader of Russia's official fan club used to justify the assault.

"When they tried to detain one person in a heavy-handed manner, well, of course they were given a kicking," Alexander Shprygin, head of the All-Russian Fans' Union, told R-Sport.

UEFA said its disciplinary body would examine the case Wednesday.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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