Perhaps not unexpectedly, Spartak Moscow fans are leaving their mark on Bilbao. As they approached San Mames ahead of the Europa League tie between Athletic Bilbao and Spartak, they forced the police into action.
The build up to the game was fraught with tension and fear for the Basque fans. Local media near the ground has reported that before kick off there were charges by the Ertzaintza and other local police forces.
There were fights provoked by the Russians. Despite the heavy police presence and the security recommendations given to the Bilbao fans, it is always difficult to contain these sorts of groups. Even more so when over 2,000 of them have come to Bilbao without a ticket.
No doubt these scenes will bring back memories of Russian fans attacking England fans after their Euro 2016 match, a tournament in which the Russian fans were frequently violent, resulting in a suspended sentence being handed out. Ahead of the World Cup in summer these are exactly the headlines that FIFA and the Russian Government do not want to be seeing.
22 February 2018