“England fan shames British media,” was one of many headlines of a similar nature to appear in Kremlin-friendly news outlets in Russia over the past couple of weeks. The story referenced a tweet from England fan Matt Maybury, who on returning from a trip to the World Cup wanted to complain about the “clear propaganda against the Russian people” in the British media. Russia was an “absolutely class country”, he wrote, at odds with what the media had led him to believe.
The tweet went viral, and was covered by multiple Russian television stations and news websites as proof of the British media’s lies.
It is an accusation that has been heard frequently out here in Russia, both from travelling England fans and from Russian media and officials. Last week, the foreign ministry’s Maria Zakharova complained about a “Russophobic campaign” by British news outlets. As Eric Dier scored the winning penalty against Colombia, the commentator on Russian state television shouted: “Down with propaganda! Down with the British press who told their fans not to come!”
Certainly, the buildup to the tournament in much of our press was largely negative, focusing on hooligan worries and the current political situation. It is indeed a pity that while South American fans travelled to Russia by the tens of thousands, European and particularly England fans came to Russia in far smaller numbers than usual, especially given England’s unexpected run to the semi-finals.
The fans who did come have been impressed by the positive atmosphere: the street parties, the surprisingly lax police presence, the good-natured welcome from the majority of Russians, and the hot weather and cheap beer.
Along with most Russians, I’ve been surprised by just how great the atmosphere has been, but I always expected Russia to put on an excellent World Cup. I was a Moscow correspondent for more than a decade, and have seen the city and country change beyond recognition in that time. I’ve been telling anyone who will listen for some time that most fans who came to Russia would be likely to have a great time.
That doesn’t mean that journalists should have ignored any of the negative issues around Russia, and nor should anyone be in any doubt that much of the World Cup bonhomie is likely to fade when the tournament leaves. But when I hear even some football journalists here for the first time expressing amazement that Moscow is a “normal place” that has nice restaurants and residents who don’t look like aliens; when friends at home who have happily travelled to genuinely dangerous parts of the world tell me they’re too nervous to come to Russia, I do wonder if us foreign correspondents could have done a better job of explaining the country.