Banned football fans get 2018 FIFA World Cup tickets

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Nine football fans blacklisted by Russian authorities and thus are supposed to be banned from 2018 FIFA World Cup have bought tickets for the event. One of them, 32-year-old Pavel Cherkas even showed his ticket and World Cup fan ID to Reuters.

In order to ensure security during the World Cup, Russia has vowed to crack down football hooliganism and has blacklisted 423 people, some of whom have criminal records of violence. These fans are meant to be banned from watching World Cup matches at the stadiums.

Pavel Cherkas, who was blacklisted by Russian authorities for bad behavior at a stadium, poses for a picture with his 2018 World Cup fan ID, which was granted to Cherkas and later revoked, during an interview outside Moscow, Russia, May 20, 2018. /VCG Photo

However, Cherkas has somehow bypassed the ban. He was blacklisted for being drunk in a match in 2017. After the ban had taken effect, he applied for World Cup fan ID and received it. Considering the ID is necessary for a fan to attend matches, that means Cherkas was approved by Russian authorities at least when he applied.

So far, Cherkas' World Cup fan ID and ticket have already been revoked but such negligence has already caused concerns over security for the event.

Hooligan violence has been a nightmare that football has been trying to escape for decades. /VCG Photo

"I’m not saying the government is wrong in banning fans, but if they do, they should do so effectively," said Cherkas to Reuters.

Russia has promised to strike at stadium violence for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Even the country's President Vladimir Putin has asked football hooligans in Russia to sign a pledge not to wield violence against fans from other nations for the event. Nonetheless, nine banned fans being found to have bought tickets has left people wondering how many else on the blacklist are able to make it into the stadiums.