A Russian politician has claimed it would be a good idea to hold a Hooligan Tournament at the upcoming football world cup as it could help improve fan’s behaviour.
Igor Lebedev reportedly has ambitions to change the battles between football hooligans into a televised spectator sport that would be held in the World Cup grounds.
He’s even thought of rules for the fights with 20 fighters from each of the world cup’s competing nations duking it out in a colossal brawl, the BBC reports.
Lebedev even called out English hooligans calling them ‘poor fighters’ and ‘undisciplined louts’.
He explained:
Russia would be pioneer in a new sport. English fans arrive, for example, and start picking fights.
And they get the answer – challenge accepted. A meeting in a stadium at a set time.
The ludicrous suggestion comes after English and Russian football fans clashed at the Euro 2016 competition after a 1-1 draw in the opening game.
Despite the violence injuring a number of people and hospitalising at least one man The Daily Star report that Lebedev promoted their behaviour on Twitter, telling the fans to ‘keep it up.
For all those fan feeling a little anxious about travelling out to Russia next year for the World Cup Lebedev has reassured fans they’ll be safe.
He said:
We’ve taken all the safety measures, modernised legislation. Not a single tourist has any reason to fear travelling to our country in the summer of 2018.
That’s nice to know at least…
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.