TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2016 18 Football fans tried in France, Russian hooligans ‘evade arrest’

MARSEILLE: Ten men will be tried in France yesterday over Russian fans charged into a section of the stadium occupied overlooking the sea in the French city of Nice, police said. FAN FERVOR the violence between English and Russian football fans in by English supporters and began throwing punches, send- The young fan, who was in his twenties, fell about eight Marseille, but prosecutors said 150 “extremely well-trained” ing spectators including women and children fleeing. metres (25 feet) from a rampart on the Promenade des Russian hooligans had evaded arrest. Anglais seafront at about 2.00am, police said. England captain Wayne Rooney and manager Roy MORE CLASHES FEARED The government said Sunday that 116 people had been Hodgson made a public appeal to England fans to behave UEFA has warned Russia and England that they could be arrested oveer football violence since the start of the tour- after UEFA threatened the team with disqualification. A kicked out of the tournament if their supporters cause more nament and 63 taken into custody. Northern Ireland fan meanwhile became the first fatality at violence. It also told the two countries to appeal to their Three people had been expelled from France and five Euro 2016 after plunging over a guard rail into the sea to his supporters to behave. others designated as a threat to public order and banned death, police said. Six Britons, one Austrian and three In response, England’s Rooney and Hodgson made a from entering the country, the interior ministry said. There French will be in court in the southern French city after video plea for the country’s fans to avoid further violence. were new incidents Sunday, as German football fans fought Saturday’s clashes, the worst violence at an international “I’m appealing to you to stay out of trouble,” Hodgson said. Ukrainian supporters ahead of their Group C game in Lille. tournament since the 1998 World Cup. An England support- “We really desperately want to stay in the competition.” More than 50 known German hooligans were involved er who was seriously injured in pitched battles on Saturday Rooney told fans: “Be safe, be sensible and continue with in the clashes, according to a German police source quoted remains in a “critical but stable” condition in hospital, prose- your great support for the players.” The British government by the SID sports news agency. cutor Brice Robin told a press conference. said it was “deeply concerned” by the Marseille violence and And in Paris about 50 French youths dressed in black The attackers have not been identified, but Robin said offered to send more police to France. taunted Croatian supporters, with the two sides throwing 150 “extremely well-trained” Russian troublemakers had tak- UEFA admitted there were stadium security flaws and missiles and fireworks at each other before police moved in. en part in the Marseille unrest. They were “prepared for the fans were not properly segregated. They said changes hyper-fast and hyper-violent acts”, Brice said and they would be made. The French cities of Lyon, which hosts its RED ALERT slipped through police surveillance. first match on Monday when Belgium face Italy, and There are concerns that Russian and English fans The head of Britain’s Euro 2016 policing operation has Toulouse announced bans on alcohol sales to football fans could clash again this week in the northern city of said the Russians in Marseille were wearing gum shields, on the days of Euro 2016 matches. Lille. Russia’s next game is in Lille on Wednesday martial arts gloves and carrying knives. Assistant chief con- The French government has given regional police chiefs against Slovakia, while England play Wales in nearby stable Mark Roberts told the Guardian newspaper that powers to ban alcohol sales and consumption from the day Lens on Thursday. Russian Sports Minister Vitaly while “a small minority” of England fans were out to cause before matches near the 10 stadiums and fan zones being Mutko said his country’s fans “behaved improperly” trouble at the match, there were hundreds of “Russian trou- used for the month-long, 24-nation tournament. and predicted UEFA would impose a fine this week. He blemakers”. Tensions came to a head inside the Stade The Northern Ireland who died became the first fatality laid the blame on match organisers for failing to sepa- Velodrome after Saturday’s 1-1 England-Russia draw. at Euro 2016 after plunging to his death from a guard rail rate supporters. — AFP

SAINT-ETIENNE: Portugal’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo takes part in a training session at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne, central-eastern France, yesterday, on the eve of their Euro 2016 football tournament match against Iceland. — AFP Minnows Iceland out to shock Ronaldo’s Portugal

SAINT-TIENNE: Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal open Lagerback said his side must ensure a quiet night for Portugal needs to subdue a resilient Iceland in Saint their Euro 2016 campaign today eager to avoid slip- Real Madrid’s superstar forward. Etienne. The current team’s rise is the result of an ping-up against minnows Iceland and aiming to emu- ambitious plan, which Iceland’s football association late their run to the European Championship semi- BACK FROM HOLIDAY (KSI) started 15 years ago, to build over 150 small arti- finals four years ago. “I saw him play for 45 minutes against Estonia. I’m ficial indoor arenas on the island. Portugal lost to eventual winners Spain on penal- not sure he was really on holiday before but he It ensured football could be played without inter- ties in the semi-finals of Euro 2012 and have arrived in recharged his batteries, both physically and mentally,” ruption through the long Icelandic winter and saw France determined to win Group F and book their said Lagerback. the junior side dubbed the ‘indoor kids’ in qualifying place in the knock-out stages. “You can expect the best from him-but not against for the 2011 European U-21 finals. First they must negotiate their way past surprise- us.” Portugal won their qualifying group by bouncing The Icelandic team has a strong team spirit. “The package Iceland, who beat the Netherlands home back from a shock 1-0 defeat to Albania in their open- main key is the mentality of the Iceland players,” said and away in qualifying as the Dutch failed to reach ing game to win all of their remaining matches and FC Basel midfielder Birkir Bjarnason. Euro 2016. The tiny North Atlantic island nation of top their group. Now winger Vierinha says the star- “We are hard working, we don’t give up. “Many of 330,000 people is making their debut at a major tour- studded Portugal squad need to again show what us have been together for ten years, started together nament and is the smallest country by population they can do on the European stage. in the U-17s.” Iceland warmed up for the Euro with a ever to feature at a European Championship. “Everyone knows our objective is to win Euro 2016, 4-0 trouncing of minnows Lichtenstein last Monday. Former Chelsea and Barcelona forward Eidur but we have to go step by step,” said Wolfsburg’s Real Sociedad striker Alfred Finnbogason is com- Gudjohnsen, 37, has come out of retirement to be Vierinha. “The players know what they have to do: ing off the back of a successful loan spell at Augsburg part of the Icelandic squad. beat Iceland, then Austria, then Hungary. We know where he scored seven goals in 14 German league Now plying his trade in Norway with Molde, the our qualities and we have to show this on the pitch.” games. And Iceland’s captain and midfield general, veteran said it will be a “dream come true” when The 30-year-old says Portugal must justify their tag Cardiff City’s Aron Gunnarsson, is raring to go. Iceland face Portugal, who trounced Estonia 7-0 in a as group favourites. “We played very well in the “I’ve done some extra work, which was something warm-up game last Wednesday. build-up and we know that people consider us the I was lacking in our warm up games, but my form is in Ronaldo netted twice before coming off at half- favourites in the group, but we have to show that we a good place and I’m just looking forward to the time and Iceland’s Swedish co-manager Lars are better than the other teams,” he said. First up, game,” said the 27-year-old. — AFP Kane must improve or face being dropped: Shearer

LONDON: Harry Kane’s performance against Russia was game against Wales,” he said. “I would tell Kane-and also not good enough and he could have no complaints if Raheem Sterling, whose final ball was yet again very Jamie Vardy replaced him for England’s Group B clash poor-that, although I am going to stick with you, if you with Wales in Lens on Thursday, former England striker do not do better then I will make those changes during Alan Shearer said. the Wales game. It is up to them to respond.” The Tottenham Hotspur striker, the Premier League’s Kane played as the central prong in a three-man leading scorer last season, failed to shine in England’s attack against Russia with Adam Lallana impressive on opening match and, according to Shearer, lacked energy. the right and Sterling less so on the left despite plenty of Leicester City’s title-winning striker Vardy had to kick his the ball. Kane only touched the ball once in Russia’s heels on the bench in Marseille where England were held penalty area. 1-1. “(England coach) Roy Hodgson would be within his “Just because you have one bad game does not mean rights to tell Harry Kane that his performance in you are a bad player and Kane will be looking to Hodgson Saturday’s draw against Russia was not good enough to give him another opportunity,” Shearer said. “But and he has to improve or he will change things up front- Hodgson has a lot of other strong options, particularly in and rightly so,” Shearer told the BBC. the centre-forward positions.” Shearer said he had been “I am a huge fan of Kane, and he has had another fan- impressed with England’s midfield in which captain tastic season for Tottenham, but he looked very leggy Wayne Rooney often dropped deep to allow Dele Alli the and tired against Russia on Saturday.” Shearer still license to roam forward but still could have scored a cou- expects Kane to lead England’s line against Wales, but ple of goals. “He played the new position very well and TOULOUSE: A Czech Republic supporter wearing a rain says he needs to step up. combined well with Eric Dier and Dele Alli too,” Shearer poncho looks on ahead of the Euro 2016 group D foot- “I would not alter anything about England’s starting said. “Dier sat in but Rooney and Alli had to decide when ball match between Spain and Czech Republic at the XI or the system they played in Marseille for their next to stay and go forward-and they got it right.” — Reuters Stadium Municipal in Toulouse yesterday. — AFP