March 23 – England manager Gareth Southgate says he has “no concerns” about security and safety at the World Cup in Russia despite the escalating diplomatic spat between London and Moscow over the poisoning of a former double agent on british soil.
No UK government ministers and members of the Royal Family will attend the tournament, which begins on June 14, in protest at the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a Russian nerve agent.
But Southgate said fans should not be concerned about travelling.
“If I were a fan, I would [go to Russia],” Southgate told reporters. “I have spent some time in Russia and felt incredibly comfortable there. But, for every individual, it is up to them what they want to do.”
British Foreign secretary Boris Johnson upped the ante on Wednesday by saying he would have an “urgent conversation” with the Russian authorities about the safety of fans.
Johnson also likened the way President Putin is promoting the World Cup to Hitler’s notorious use of Nazi propaganda at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
But Southgate declared: “It’s of little interest to me what the foreign secretary thinks about it. I was in Russia last year for the Confederations Cup and there were about 15,000 fans from Chile. There was an incredible atmosphere in the stadiums. It felt like the other World Cups I’d been to.”
“The situation is developing so we don’t know what it will be like in June, but on the situation currently, it wouldn’t stop me from going.”
So far just 24,000 English fans have registered for tickets, compared to 84,000 at the same point prior to the 2014 Brazil World Cup.
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