Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Soccer

UEFA charges Russia over violence, enhances stadium security

By FoxSports
Published | Updated

PARIS --

UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Russia on Sunday for crowd disturbances and racist behavior by its fans during a European Championship game against England.

The governing body of European soccer also said it would strengthen security at stadiums in France in response to the disorder.

The English Football Association, whose fans fled the stadium in Marseille after being attacked by a large group of Russian fans, has not been charged by UEFA.

The high-profile scenes of unrest, both inside and outside the Stade Velodrome, marred the second day of the tournament, with UEFA expressing its ''utter disgust'' over clashes between Russian and English fans in Marseille.

UEFA held emergency meetings on Sunday to re-assess security measures inside the 10 stadiums being used across France for the 24-team tournament.

''UEFA acknowledges that there were segregation issues at Stade Velodrome and will implement corrective measures to strengthen the deployment of security personnel at stadiums, in close collaboration with local authorities,'' UEFA said in a statement.

Russia has also been charged over fireworks being set off inside the stadium, where the game finished 1-1. UEFA said its control, ethics and disciplinary body will judge the case on Tuesday, imposing sanctions ahead of its second Euro 2016 game against Slovakia on Wednesday in Lille.

UEFA is only taking disciplinary action over the disorder inside the stadium in Marseille, where it spread after three straight days of fighting near the port in the Mediterranean city.

Although UEFA holds national federations responsible for their fans' behavior inside stadiums, it typically does not act on incidents elsewhere.

''UEFA expresses its utter disgust for the violent clashes that occurred in the city center of Marseille, and its serious concern for the incidents at the end of the match inside Stade Velodrome,'' UEFA said. ''This kind of behavior is totally unacceptable and has no place in football.''

When UEFA's disciplinary panel judges incidents in Marseille, it could take Russian fans' track record at Euro 2012 into account. UEFA imposed a series of sanctions, including fines, on the Russian Football Union for incidents at that tournament, which was hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

MORE FROM FOX SOCCER: