Just as London is faced with a crime wave of massive proportions, just as a Russian double agent is poisoned with a nerve agent in the UK resulting in retractions of diplomats on both sides, that is when a top soccer team in London needs to play a top soccer team from Moscow in front of a sold-out crowd.
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The Gunners (meaning Arsenal of London) face CSKA Moscow tonight in the Europa League quarter-final clash. The Moscow fans are notoriously violent and have wreaked havoc in every of their previous European visits on the continent during the group stages. This is their first time in the UK this year.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">CSKA Moscow fans were allocated just 500 tickets for tonight's game at the Emirates and many have decided not to travel due to the rising political tension between the UK and Russia. [Sun] <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/afc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#afc</a> <a href="https://t.co/0Tp6ybeqh6">pic.twitter.com/0Tp6ybeqh6</a></p>— afcstuff (@afcstuff) <a href="https://twitter.com/afcstuff/status/981871002337579009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A security and intelligence expert, Professor Anthony Glees: "There is now the risk that those who claim to support Putin, and we think act with his support for what they do, people that kill journalists and opponents of the regime, they will feel they have a Russian Government license to attack. It's much easier to get knuckle dusters into the country in a coach. Their (hooligans') track record is appalling, and it's got worse."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shock amount of CSKA Moscow fans set to arrive at Emirates <a href="https://t.co/rdQtd72W60">https://t.co/rdQtd72W60</a> <a href="https://t.co/Uz7aAWZObl">pic.twitter.com/Uz7aAWZObl</a></p>— The Sun - Arsenal (@SunArsenal) <a href="https://twitter.com/SunArsenal/status/981867805296521221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Asked about the likelihood of Russian hooligans attacking Arsenal in London tonight, he responded: "Extremely strong, given their behavior in Lille (France, red.) and other places.
"I suspect Cressida Dick (the London Metropolitan Police Commissioner, red.) will be worried about this."
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Given that Russia is organizing the Soccer World Cup this summer, the Kremlin is keen to avoid any embarrassment, and so given the tense situation and the CSKA’s supporters violent reputation, they sent out an official memo to any of the Moscow ‘Ultras’ going to London tonight, telling CSKA fans to display "extra vigilance"
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"Considering the anti-Russian campaign being waged by Britain, which has led to a rise in Russophobia, we call on you to exercise extra vigilance and discretion."
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"To avoid provocations, we call on you to avoid getting into conflicts with the authorities and local residents."
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It would be truly significant if the hooligans actually heed the Kremlin's call out.