Russia have been handed a final warning from UEFA with a ‘suspended disqualification’ from Euro 2016 imposed for their supporters’ disorder during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with England in Marseille.
Any further instances of crowd disturbance inside stadiums at Russia’s matches this summer would see them thrown out of the tournament after the Russian Football Union (RFU) were charged with crowd disturbances, use of fireworks and racist behaviour.
However, the suspended sanction only applies to the trouble inside the stadium. The RFU are permitted to appeal the punishments but have already indicated they do not intend to.
European football’s governing body have also issued the Russians with a £119,000 (€150,000) fine.
Russia play Slovakia in Lille on Wednesday and Wales in Toulouse next Monday.
UEFA’s independent control, ethics and disciplinary body, confirmed the sanctions in a statement, mentioning: ‘A suspended disqualification of the Russian national team from UEFA EURO 2016 for the crowd disturbances.’
The statement added: ‘In accordance with Article 20 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations this disqualification is suspended until the end of the tournament.
‘Such suspension will be lifted if incidents of a similar nature (crowd disturbances) happen inside the stadium at any of the remaining matches of the Russian team during the tournament.’
A UEFA emergency panel would decide on the distribution of points in Group B if Russia were expelled from the competition.
Reacting to the sanctions, Russia manager Leonid Slutsky told a press conference: ‘We are sure that we’re not going to be kicked out. There’s not going to be any injustice.’
Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said: ‘The punishment is excessive, but we cannot influence it. The fine is enormous as the Russian Football Union is a non-commercial organisation. There is no sense in appealing.’
Despite the violence on the streets of Marseille before and after Saturday’s 1-1 draw, UEFA’s suspended punishment only applies to incidents inside stadiums.
England, deemed to be the victims of the events at the Stade Velodrome, have not been punished.
Both nations’ associations have already been told they risk expulsion if the violent, chaotic scenes seen over the weekend continue through the rest of the tournament.
Inside the stadium, Russia supporters attacked England and neutral sections of the crowd at the final whistle after Vasili Berezutski’s late equaliser.
The surge appeared to have been at least partly sparked by the firing of a flare gun from the Russian end.
Sportsmail also revealed that England’s black players were racially abused, and disabled supporters were also victims of the Russian hooligan gang.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Kremlin said Russian sporting officials and groups should use all their influence to ensure their fans started to behave themselves at the tournament.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments after France began to deport some Russian fans following the clashes in Marseille.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that some football fans will be deported from France. A group of Russia fans were detained near Cannes on the French Riviera but they boasted that police had targeted the wrong people.
Riot police stopped the bus in Cannes carrying supporters who were travelling to Lille for Russia’s next match.
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