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Police urge more discipline in arranging football fans bus rides

On October 2, some 30 people attacked a bus carrying Zenit fans to Moscow

MOSCOW, October 5 (Itar-Tass) — The Interior Ministry urged football clubs to take more precautions when arranging bus trips of their fans to premier league games.

"It is not the first time soccer fans suffer from Illegal actions against them. The Interior Ministry repeatedly drew the attention of football functionaries and the administration of the premier league clubs to the necessity of more precise organization of fans' trips to "visiting matches," and timely information about the fans' routes for regional police bodies," the Interior Ministry's press service told Itar-Tass.

"Despite the warnings, football fans' trips are unorganized in most cases. "The Interior Ministry leadership is concerned about the facts of the manifestation of aggression both by football fans and against them," an Interior Ministry official said.

On October 2, some 30 people attacked a bus carrying Zenit fans to Moscow. Police detained six suspected attackers. Criminal proceedings over the attack were opened under Article 167, Part 2 ("malicious destruction of or damage to property") and Article 213 ("hooliganism").

The Interior Ministry views it as hooliganism against citizens. "Any attempts to manifest aggression will be intercepted," the police official underlined.

The Ministry urges all the fans regardless of the football club they support, to behave civilly toward each other and not to violate public order during the football matches or on the way to stadiums.