France backs UEFA warning to England, Russia, plans alcohol ban

By Reuters/John Irish June 12, 2016 | 07:07 pm PT

Football Soccer - England v Russia - EURO 2016 - Group B - Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France - 11/6/16 England fans try to escape trouble in the stadium at full time. Photo by Reuters/Eddie Keogh Livepic

France's interior minister said on Sunday he backed UEFA's threat to sanction England and Russia if their fans repeated the violence seen over the last few days in Marseille and urged hosting cities to consider a ban on alcohol around match days.

"It is absolutely necessary that the national federations whose supporters create incidents of this nature be punished for what happened inside the stadium, and also outside," Bernard Cazeneuve told a news briefing.

A spokesman for the ministry clarified that the minister was not specifically calling for the two countries to face sanctions, but that he was merely supporting UEFA's decision to warn Russia and England over their fans' future behavior.

UEFA earlier in the day said that the two countries could be disqualified from the Euro 2016 tournament if fan violence continued.

Cazeneuve said he asked police chiefs in nine hosting cities to take all measures to prevent the sale, consumption and transportation of alcohol on the day before a fixture and on the match day.

Anybody arrested for violent incidents could also be banned from all stadiums, fan zones and popular public areas in all host cities, he added.