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EURO2016

Russian fan leader vows to return to Euro2016

The Russian far-right football fan leader expelled from France over unrest at Euro 2016 on Saturday swaggered through a Moscow airport, his outstretched arms holding a Russian flag with a snarling bear -- and vowed to return to France before the end of the tournament.

Published: 19 June 2016 06:39 CEST
Russian fan leader vows to return to Euro2016
Alexander Shprygin returns to Moscow after expulsion from France. Photo: Vasily Maximov/AFP
Alexander Shprygin, who heads Russia's national supporters association, was among the 20 Russian fans expelled from France for disrupting public order after violent clashes between Russian and English fans last weekend before their countries met in Marseille.
 
The group was put on a flight from Nice to Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport earlier Saturday after French investigators were unable to slap specific charges on its members but said they suspected some of them were violent and well-organised hooligans.
 
Shprygin said the fans had received usual exit stamps that would allow them to return France.
 
“I have the desire to (go back),” Shprygin told reporters, adding that he had tickets to Russia's match against Wales on Monday. “I plan to make this decision after I go home and see my family.”
 
The fans expelled from France have denied taking part in the Marseille  unrest.
 
The other expelled fans echoed their leader's statements, swearing their innocence and said their treatment had been unfair.
 
“When the French fans come in 2018 (for the World Cup hosted by Russia), I hope no-one will touch them or insult them,” said Vitaly Petrakov, a 48-year-old Moscow Torpedo fan.
 
Ivan Mironov, who heads the local branch of the fan association in Russia's Perm region, said the group could not be held responsible for individual fans' behaviour.
 
“There were 15,000 Russians at the game in Marseille,” he said. “How can one organisation be responsible for all of them?”
 
Russian officials meanwhile have expressed conflicting opinions about fighting among football fans, spanning from condemnation to outright endorsement. 
 
President Vladimir Putin on Friday said that fighting among football fans was a “disgrace” but questioned how “200 of our fans could beat up several thousand English,” drawing laughs and applause from the audience at the economic forum he was addressing.
 
The lawmaker who employs Shprygin at the Russian parliament, Igor Lebedev, wrote on Twitter earlier this week he saw “nothing wrong” in the clashes and encouraged the Russian supporters to “keep it up.”

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GERMANY

Italy suffer penalty heartbreak in Euro 2016 quarter-final

Jonas Hector fired Germany into the semi-finals of Euro 2016 at Italy's expense after an epic round of 18 penalty kicks that saw players from both sides produce stunning misses in Bordeaux on Saturday.

Published: 2 July 2016 23:53 CEST
Italy suffer penalty heartbreak in Euro 2016 quarter-final
Italy striker Graziano Pellè hides his face after missing a penalty. Photo: Vincenzo PitoAFP

World Cup holders Germany won the shoot-out 6-5 after a tense match finished 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time, and their reward is a semi-final with the winner of Sunday's last quarter-final between hosts France and Iceland.
   
Joachim Loew's side had appeared to be heading for the win in regulation time after Mesut Ozil pounced to give them a 65th-minute lead.
   
But Italy clawed themselves back into the game when Leonardo Bonucci levelled from the penalty spot 12 minutes from the end of normal time after a Jerome Boateng handball.
 
After no goals were scored in extra time, Ozil, Thomas Mueller and Bastian Schweinsteiger all failed from the spot for Germany, usually so reliable from 12 yards.
   
But after Simone Zaza and Graziano Pelle missed for Italy and Bonucci was denied by Manuel Neuer, Matteo Darmian's failure to convert the Azzurri's ninth kick allowed Hector to become Germany's hero.
   
The game had been billed as the pick of the quarter-finals, but large spells of the game in Bordeaux were uneventful.
   
Germany talisman Schweinsteiger again started the game on the bench but was introduced after quarter of an hour to replace Sami Khedira, who came off with a groin injury.
   
Schweinsteiger found the net just before the half-hour mark but his effort was disallowed for a foul on Mattia De Sciglio.
   
With a semi-final against either hosts France or Iceland up for grabs, a cautious approach from both sides was to be expected.
   
Indeed, Germany coach Joachim Loew sprung a surprise by moving away from his usual 4-2-3-1 formation in favour of a 3-5-2 to replicate the Italian set-up, dropping the previously excellent Julian Draxler as a result.
   
The World Cup holders went on to dominate possession throughout but Gianluigi Buffon was untroubled by a Mario Gomez toe-poke while the veteran goalkeeper also easily saved from a Mueller shot late in the first half.
   
Italy responded in kind, Emanuele Giaccherini seeing his cutback go all the way to Stefano Sturaro, whose his low drive had power but was deflected out for a corner.
   
Germany moved up a gear immediately after the restart, Gomez smartly laying the ball off for Mueller to hit a left-foot drive that was turned behind by the backtracking Alessandro Florenzi at the far post.
   
The Germans were beginning to control proceedings and the opener arrived soon after. Gomez pounced on some slack defending by Florenzi before finding Hector in space to the left of the penalty box.
   
The full-back's attempted cutback came off Bonucci but fell to Ozil, who fired past Buffon from close range to give Germany a 65th-minute lead.
 
Germany's confidence was now soaring and Ozil found Gomez in space with a great chip, but the striker's outrageous flick was superbly saved by Buffon and the offside flag came up anyway.
   
Italy looked down, but they were not out.
   
An unmarked Pelle got his left foot to Florenzi's low cross but fired off target, and minutes later the Azzurri pulled level after the ball came off the arm of Boateng in the area.
   
Hungarian referee Victor Kassai immediately pointed to the spot and Bonucci stepped up to beat Neuer low to the goalkeeper's left to spark wild celebrations.
   
It was the goal Neuer had conceded at the tournament after four successive clean sheets.
   
There was a minor scare for the Germans with three minutes left when Eder found De Sciglio on the left and the AC Milan midfielder saw his powerful drive ripple the side-netting.
   
Into extra time they went and Germany came closest in the additional half hour, substitute Draxler pouncing on a poor headed clearance from Andrea Barzagli to send an overhead kick just over, before both sides settled for penalties.

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