Stig Östlund

måndag, december 27, 2010

Racist Violence Threatens Russia's World Cup Plans

As Russia campaigned to host soccer's World Cup in 2018, it readily admitted its weaknesses — bad stadiums, weak infrastructure, a shortage of diehard fans. But one problem went unmentioned until the campaign was over: The violent xenophobia that is permeating the country's soccer culture. On Dec. 11, just nine days after Russia's bid was accepted, thousands of soccer fans took part in a race riot in Moscow, targeting migrants to the city from the North Caucasus. Dozens of people were beaten in the street. Now, if Russia wants to host a successful tournament, it will need to rein in the nationalist groups recruiting among the fans, and so far, it is off to a losing start. /TIME

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