Euro 2016: Embarrassing U-turn for Russian sports minister who admits there WAS a clash with England fans… but still thinks violence was ‘exaggerated’
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DELUDED Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko insisted there was no violent clash at the end of England's Euro 2016 game against Russia - before backtracking completely as Uefa announced a probe into the fighting.
His original claim came amid calls from a Spanish paper for the Three Lions to be BANNED - despite European football's governing body absolving them of blame.
Mutko, who also shot down allegations of Russian athletics doping in the face of overwhelming evidence, said the images of fan violence were "exaggerated".
The ugly scenes flared up again - after hours of sickening violence outside the ground which left two fans in a critical condition - when Russia skipper Vasili Berezutski scored a late equaliser after Eric Dier's free-kick.
But Mutko defied sense to claim the real "bad thing" at the game was the letting off of fireworks and flares - before backtracking completely today.
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And he now believes the country's football union deserve to be fined by UEFA for Russian fans' behaviour after the final whistle.
Mutko originally said: "There was no clash. That's being exaggerated. In fact, everything is fine here.
"When the match ended, there was no barrier between the fans. The British were upset, of course, but it all quickly dissolved.
"Such matches should be organised properly. It is necessary to separate the fans.
"The bad thing is that there were firecrackers and flares. There were no nets. One must understand these things."
But as Uefa announced an investigation in the sickening scenes, Mutko said: "It's the right thing, there were flares, there was a flare gun, there had been clashes in the stands, it's necessary to sort all of this out.
"We will prepare properly, we will present our position. The fans were rooting greatly, but there are people who do not come for the football."
Meanwhile, respected Spanish paper AS called for England to be banned from the Euros because it claimed Three Lions fans were to blame for the scenes of violence.
In an editorial titled, 'There's no need to put up with the hooligans', editor Alfredo Relano used the example of Heysel to justify his call for England's exclusion.
He wrote: "Barbarous hooliganism has reappeared at Euro 2016, to sour it for everyone.
"English hooligans have been for a long time football's disgrace, the stick used by those who wished to attack the sport.
"As far as I'm concerned they can chuck England out of the Euros right now.
"When the Liverpool fans provoked the deaths of more than 30 peaceful Juve supporters in Heysel Uefa kicked all English clubs out of European competition for five years.
"Now it's back I don't see any reason to put up with it again.
"England played with the embarrassment of their barbarous hordes weighing them down.
"After the goal they let up and the punishment was a header in time added on.
"That, together with the Welsh beating Slovakia puts the spotlight on England-Wales on Thursday.
"I'd recommend they play it on their island. And stay there."