World Cup stewards to be punished over Pussy Riot protest

Posted July 20, 2018 7:00 am

The Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) - The chief organizer of Russia's World Cup says stewards will be punished after protesters ran onto the field during the final.

Organizing committee CEO Alexei Sorokin tells Russia's Sport Express newspaper "we will make (the stewards) ashamed" after four members of the Pussy Riot protest group and punk band ran onto the pitch dressed as police officers.

The game was briefly stopped as stewards chased the protesters, one of whom shared a high-five with France's star forward Kylian Mbappe. France beat Croatia 4-2.

Sorokin says the stewards face "disciplinary measures" and suggests they backed down because of instinctive respect for police attire.

He adds "we all grew up respecting the uniform, you have to agree. Yes, the stewards were unprofessional, but it's not fair to accuse them too harshly. The people who ran onto the field were too cunning."

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.