WARSAW, Poland: The Russian football federation was fined €35,000 ($44,000) on Saturday for the unruly behavior of its fans at the team’s final European Championship game, further tarnishing the country’s image after two earlier rounds of sanctions at the tournament.
UEFA said the latest punishment relates to “the setting off and throwing of fireworks by spectators, and displaying of illicit banners” during the Group A match against Greece on last Saturday.
It took the total amount of fines handed to the Football Union of Russia (RFS) at Euro 2012 to €185,000. The team was eliminated at the group stage following its 1-0 loss to the Greeks in its third match.
The RFS was fined €120,000 ($150,000) after fans attacked stadium staff in Wroclaw at its first match, against the Czech Republic, before being hit by a €30,000 ($37,800) fine after supporters displayed “illicit” nationalist flags and threw fireworks onto the pitch at the game against Poland.
That led to the RFS sending out an appeal to its fans to behave, claiming hooligans were “putting their own interests above the interests of the national team.” Russia will host the World Cup in 2018.
Some Russian fans were also involved in violent clashes, largely provoked by Poles, in Warsaw before and during the match against the co-hosts on June 12. UEFA can’t sanction federations for incidents that occur away from stadiums.
UEFA also said Saturday it has opened disciplinary proceedings against Portugal’s football federation following the “attempted invasion of the field of play by a fan” at the quarterfinal against the Czech Republic on Thursday. The case will be heard on Monday.
The English FA was fined €5,000 ($6,350) on Wednesday after two fans committed the same offense in a match against Sweden.
Russian federation fined after crowd disturbances
