Boris Johnson likens Russia’s World Cup to Hitler hosting the 1936 Olympics
The Foreign Secretary said he 'felt sick' at the thought of Russian President Vladimir Putin hosting the sporting event
BORIS Johnson has reignited the controversy over England going to Russia’s World Cup by likening it to Hitler hosting the 1936 Olympics.
The Foreign Secretary told MPs that “Putin glorifying in this sporting event” made him feel sick.
He added: “The comparison with 1936 is certainly right”.
Boris also said he has wrestled hard over whether national team should boycott the summer tournament over the Kremlin’s Salisbury nerve attack outrage.
But he said he has concluded that they England should still go, saying: “On balance, it would be wrong to punish the team”.
The senior Cabinet minister also issued a grave warning to Russia that it has a strict duty to ensure all travelling British fans are protected.
Yet fears for their safety during the tournament grew after Boris also refused to say it was safe to go.
Pressed by MPs, he wouldn’t rule out Foreign Office advice changing in the future to advise fans to stay away.
Ticket applications from England fans for games in Russia are down by three quarters on the interest in going to Brazil four years ago.
Just 24,000 have been bought so far, opposed to 96,780 fans travelling to the tournament in 2014.
But they would still be left potentially thousands of pounds out of pocket, with lost air fares and ticket costs.
Downing Street insisted Boris was speaking on behalf of the Government, but refused to be drawn into saying whether England should play in the competition.
The PM’s official spokesman said: “Decisions about sporting events are not a matter for the government”.
Boris’s comparison sparked fury in Moscow.
A Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman said he has been “poisoned with hatred and anger”.