2018 FIFA World Cup Will Introduce Identity Cards to Tackle Hooliganism
Thoughts?
The 2016 UEFA European Championship in France saw an unfortunate event between England and Russia supporters break out into extreme violence. Russia was fined €150,000 EUR (approximately $157,834 USD) and given a suspension disqualification by UEFA after their fans led the events. Now to combat hooliganism, Russian authorities will introduce identity cards for supporters attending matches at the tournaments. They will be in place for this summer’s Confederations Cup and next year’s World Cup.
The cards will display the holder’s photograph and will act as a visa for entry into the country, along with the stadiums. The Confederations Cup will kick off on June 17 in four of the 11 hosts cities featuring eight teams, including the hosts Russia and 2014 World Cup Champions Germany. The 2018 World Cup opening game will be held on June 14, 2018. Director of competitions for FIFA Colin Smith states:
“Every fan will be required to have a fan ID to enter the stadiums, both for the Confederations Cup and for FIFA World Cup, and so we have got trust in the authorities that everything will be done. What we can be sure of is that this will be a festival of football and there is no place in such festivals of football for those that are not here to support the sport or support the game.”
