Russian Fans Supporting England After Politically-Charged Celebration From Croatia's Domagoj Vida

From Esquire

England may be receiving a boost from the World Cup hosts ahead of their semi-final clash tomorrow, as Russian fans seem to be switching allegiance in the hope of seeing Croatia's downfall.

In addition to some bitterness about being knocked out by Croatia, Russian fans are also furious after Croatian defender 11 was filmed shouting “Glory to Ukraine” in a now-viral clip celebrating his team's win.

The video of the former Dynamo Kyiv player declaring the anti-Russian slogan alongside his former teammate Ognjen Vukojević has circulated online and angered Russian fans.

Many are now looking to support England in the semi-final on 11 July, which might give them the edge against Croatia.

English fans have been largely absent from the celebrations in Russia, with one of the lowest number of applications for World Cup tickets. The support of the home nation might transform the atmosphere at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium into that of a home game for England.

Yura Reizer, a member of the Spartak Moscow fan club, told the Daily Telegraph that a “significant number” of Russian fans would now be supporting England, “especially after the words ‘Glory to Ukraine’ on the video by the two Croatians”.

The Telegraph also report that, "Local fans have tended to support England in the World Cup because of their familiarity with Premier League stars. Many Russians have attended England games wearing the team’s national strip or else in shirts of clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool."

Russia fans on Twitter have also been announced their new allegiances.

What's Russian for 'it's bloody coming home'?

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