Russian 'hooligan' Vasily the Killer says he isn't behind Euro 2016 violence... because he is on holiday with his family
By Will Stewart In Moscow for MailOnline20:04 15 Jun 2016, updated 22:18 15 Jun 2016
Vasily Stepanov - who in his heyday wore a gum shield branded with his nickname 'killer' - issued a statement through his cousin saying the accusations were 'a lie'.
In fact, the notorious fighter, who has a Spartak Gladiator emblem tattooed across his chest, says he has turned his back on the hooligan lifestyle all together, because he is too busy being a father.
Scroll down for video
Vasily (pictured) was alleged to have organised the fighting in France, but says he was miles away in Russia
He also posted an image of this empty bottle - said to be the hooligans' drink of choice - when asked if he was at his summer cottage, which is where his cousin told media he was during this week's violence
Vasily was said to have been among the hooligans - known as 'Ultras' - who attacked England fans in Marseilles on Saturday.
But he has strongly denied he was even in France, posting a photograph showing himself with his wife Maria and four children on a bridge apparently near Moscow, more than 2,000 miles away from the match.
He also posted a picture from his cottage of Somersby Apple Cider, hardly the drink of choice for Russian hooligans.
His cousin, lawyer Sergei Zhorin, insisted: 'A number of foreign and Russian media have accused my cousin of organizing riots in France. It's a lie! He was at his summer cottage.'
Zhorin added he was ready to take legal action to challenge claims that Vasily was in France and involved in the violence.
Vasily had previously told Life News in Russia that he hadn't been an active hooligan 'for a few years'.
'I have a big family, I spend my energy there,' he said.
Despite this, he was seen at an event for young Spartak fans in February this year.
Abd mystery remains over the precise whereabouts of the supposedly home-loving hooligan.
Vasily was part of neo-Nazi gang Spartak Gladiator Firm and has the group's emblem tattooed on his chest
There are fears Russian Ultras like Vasily are preparing for more clashes with England fans this week
There are fears Russian Ultras like Vasily are preparing for more clashes with England fans this week
For example, he also also uses the name Bratko Gladich , and on one social media account he gives his current location as Serbia.
However, asked by a friend if he was now at his dacha - summer cottage - he posted the image of empty cider bottle, showing a kitchen garden in the background.
Other sources imply his dacha is in Moscow region.
Wherever he was, Vasily has said it was 'some kind of hell' to be named as being at the heart of the French carnage.
Zhorin said: 'We grew up together.. His name is Vasily (Vasya) Stepanov, and he is known among fans as the Vasya-Killer.
'He is a father of four, his wife is now pregnant with their fifth child.
'He had already retired and was not at this year's European Championship in France.
'However, his photographs are now on the covers of a number of foreign newspapers.
'The text states that he is an organiser and participant of the riots in France. Apparently, they just took the pictures that were in the public domain.
'Unfortunately, this 'hog-wash' was picked up by some of our media.
'He is angry, because these publications can lead to certain consequences.'
He and his family were previously blocked from going on holiday in Croatia 'and he was detained at the airport, because his data was in internal databases'.
Now he could face further legal problems and loss of foreign visas because of publications linking him to the French hooliganism when he was no longer a hooligan, he said.
A Russian fan wearing a balaclava rushes towards an England supporter as violence kicked off at full-time inside the Velodrome
Ready for battle: Russian ultras are not only the most vicious species of hooligan around, but also the best organised — partly because many have daytime jobs that involve wearing uniforms
The Daily Mirror.
Keith Moore, a 52-year-old England fan from Manchester, said: 'We were being hit constantly.
'We were just standing around having some beers and a bit of food on Saturday afternoon when around 25 Russians steamed in.
'You could easily see who they were – they had black T-shirts with Russian writing on and were all extremely muscular.
'They didn't muck about – they picked out English blokes to attack and then ran off when the police arrived.'
A man is led away by police as an England supporter follows in the background during the battles in Marseille on Saturday afternoon
Marseille is littered with broken bottles and chairs following the clashes between fans while many were injured
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Thirty-five people were injured in the worst violence at an international tournament since the 1998 World Cup in France, with three still in a serious condition.
One Russian, Vladimir, who considers violence a sport, said that England supporters were just 'big older men who drink a lot of beer'.
6 BRITS CHARGED OVER VIOLENCE BUT 150 RUSSIANS ESCAPE ARREST
A 16-year-old is among six English fans who will face trial today over football violence during Euro 2016.
One Austrian and three French spectators were also arrested and charged over clashes in Marseille.
Prosecutors said they would request jail sentences for the defendants as well as a ban on entering French territory.
But Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin admitted 150 specially trained Russian hooligans behind much of the violence that broke out ahead of the England-Russia game on Saturday had evaded arrest.
About 35 people have been injured, including four people whose conditions were described as serious.
Mr Robin told a news conference: 'These people were well prepared for ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action. These are extremely well trained people.'
The Moscow public relations manager, who is married with two children, says he does not care that UEFA has threatened to throw Russia, hosts of the World Cup in 2018, out of Euro 2016 if there is a repeat of Saturday's violence.
Vladimir, who spoke on condition that his family name is not used, spent less than 48 hours in Marseille but said he 'saw all the main events and took part to some extent'.
He estimated about 150 of Russia's 'strongest' hooligans flew to Marseille for the day for the England-Russia match.
The Lokomotiv Moscow follower said 500-600 of the team's fans take part in hooliganism at 'important events like the Euro'.
Spartak Moscow, CSKA Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg also have hooligan groups with hundreds of members each.
Their grounds have been notorious for racist chants against black players.
Up to 15,000 Russians were said to be in France for Euro 2016 and Vladimir said team loyalties were forgotten for such events.
'It doesn't matter which city fans come from or which team they support. It's important that we're all from Russia. We are going to fight the English.'
Russian hardcore fans give their gangs English names such as 'mob' or 'crew' but consider themselves bitter rivals of English fans.
'The English always say they are the main football hooligans.
'We went to show that the English are girls,' Vladimir said.
Many hooligans have little interest in the games and will not care if UEFA disqualifies their team, he added.
'I think it's a decision that won't influence in any way what hooligans do next,' he said.
'Nothing will stop these people.'
He contrasted Russian hooligans with England fans.
'Fans or hooligans from Russia are mainly younger, aged 20-30 and at home most of them are into sports. They do sports like boxing or all kinds of martial arts,' he said.
'The aim is to come and prove that English fans aren't hooligans, they don't know how to fight. A lot of Russian guys come specially with this aim.'
A video appears to show the Russian Sports Minister and head of Russian FA celebrating while watching the Russian supporters charge towards the English fans - who fled for the exits
Russian hooligans will try to provoke fights with a group of England fans at a bar by trying to grab their team banner, he said.
He stressed that while 'the English use chairs and bottles (to fight), the Russian style is only fists'.
RUSSIAN MP TELLS FANS TO KEEP ON FIGHTING THE ENGLISH
A senior Russian Football Union official and ultra-nationalist politician has said his country's fans were right to fight England supporters at Euro 2016.
Igor Lebedev, who sits on the RFU executive committee and is also a deputy speaker in parliament, said on Twitter: 'I don't see anything wrong with fans fighting.
'Quite the opposite, the guys did well. Keep it up!'
Lebedev, a member of the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia headed by his father Vladimir Zhirinovsky, said the violence was 'not the fans' fault'.
Lebedev blamed French police's 'inability to organise such events.'
Lebedev also claimed in a separate interview with Life.ru tabloid website that Russians were provoked by England supporters and suggested Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko would have enjoyed joining in the clashes.
'I personally think that if Mutko was with the fans on the stands and not an official, he would also go and fight the English fans since they were the ones who started it,' Lebedev said.
Mutko has said Russian hooligans are 'disgracing the country' ahead of its 2018 hosting of the World Cup.
Using weapons 'causes a lot of unnecessary injuries,' he said. 'For us it's like sport.'
'We don't have a desire to kill or injure. There is a desire to show our strength.'
Pro-Russian Twitter account English Russia, which tweets pictures and news from Russia, posted a series of memes mocking England fans.
One tweet showed a picture of a Russian fan kicking an English supporter with the caption: 'Putin's thugs kicked the s*** of young English pianist.'
Another tweet claimed: 'They say twenty or so Russian fans made all British fans run in disgrace from their seats.'
The head of Britain's Euro 2016 policing operation said Russian fans prepared for battle by bringing gum shields, martial arts gloves and knives.
Pictures showed dozens of youths rushing down Marseille streets with cafe chairs over their heads, ready to throw them, as the situation descended into chaos.
Vladimir said he thought that French police were passive during the outbreaks of violence.
'I got the sense it was interesting for them to see the Russians fight the English. They intervened at the last moment.'
He added that Russian hooligans do their best to blend into the crowd and never wear the team shirt or carry the national flag.
'If you see a guy wearing a Russian flag or a Russian T-shirt, he'll never be a hooligan,' Vladimir said.
'A hooligan must dress to fit in with the crowd. I wore a shirt, trousers and leather shoes.'
He said he would only go back to France if Russia play in the final and predicted that the other matches will be 'a lot calmer'.
Consciously uncluttered! Gwyneth Paltrow knocks $2 million off her pristine, white NYC apartment with embroidered...
By Will Stewart In Moscow for MailOnline20:04 15 Jun 2016, updated 22:18 15 Jun 2016
- Hundreds of English and Russian fans fought pitched battles in Marseille
- Dozens of hardline Russian thugs known as 'ultras' behind the violence
- Neo-Nazi hooligan known as Vasily the 'killer' accused of organising thugs
- But he has come forward to say he has turned his back on hooliganism
- See more Euro 2016 news as Russian hooligans taunt England fans
Vasily Stepanov - who in his heyday wore a gum shield branded with his nickname 'killer' - issued a statement through his cousin saying the accusations were 'a lie'.
In fact, the notorious fighter, who has a Spartak Gladiator emblem tattooed across his chest, says he has turned his back on the hooligan lifestyle all together, because he is too busy being a father.
Scroll down for video
Vasily (pictured) was alleged to have organised the fighting in France, but says he was miles away in Russia
He also posted an image of this empty bottle - said to be the hooligans' drink of choice - when asked if he was at his summer cottage, which is where his cousin told media he was during this week's violence
Vasily was said to have been among the hooligans - known as 'Ultras' - who attacked England fans in Marseilles on Saturday.
But he has strongly denied he was even in France, posting a photograph showing himself with his wife Maria and four children on a bridge apparently near Moscow, more than 2,000 miles away from the match.
He also posted a picture from his cottage of Somersby Apple Cider, hardly the drink of choice for Russian hooligans.
His cousin, lawyer Sergei Zhorin, insisted: 'A number of foreign and Russian media have accused my cousin of organizing riots in France. It's a lie! He was at his summer cottage.'
Zhorin added he was ready to take legal action to challenge claims that Vasily was in France and involved in the violence.
Vasily had previously told Life News in Russia that he hadn't been an active hooligan 'for a few years'.
'I have a big family, I spend my energy there,' he said.
Despite this, he was seen at an event for young Spartak fans in February this year.
Abd mystery remains over the precise whereabouts of the supposedly home-loving hooligan.
Vasily was part of neo-Nazi gang Spartak Gladiator Firm and has the group's emblem tattooed on his chest
There are fears Russian Ultras like Vasily are preparing for more clashes with England fans this week
There are fears Russian Ultras like Vasily are preparing for more clashes with England fans this week
For example, he also also uses the name Bratko Gladich , and on one social media account he gives his current location as Serbia.
However, asked by a friend if he was now at his dacha - summer cottage - he posted the image of empty cider bottle, showing a kitchen garden in the background.
Other sources imply his dacha is in Moscow region.
Wherever he was, Vasily has said it was 'some kind of hell' to be named as being at the heart of the French carnage.
Zhorin said: 'We grew up together.. His name is Vasily (Vasya) Stepanov, and he is known among fans as the Vasya-Killer.
'He is a father of four, his wife is now pregnant with their fifth child.
'He had already retired and was not at this year's European Championship in France.
'However, his photographs are now on the covers of a number of foreign newspapers.
'The text states that he is an organiser and participant of the riots in France. Apparently, they just took the pictures that were in the public domain.
'Unfortunately, this 'hog-wash' was picked up by some of our media.
'He is angry, because these publications can lead to certain consequences.'
He and his family were previously blocked from going on holiday in Croatia 'and he was detained at the airport, because his data was in internal databases'.
Now he could face further legal problems and loss of foreign visas because of publications linking him to the French hooliganism when he was no longer a hooligan, he said.
A Russian fan wearing a balaclava rushes towards an England supporter as violence kicked off at full-time inside the Velodrome
Ready for battle: Russian ultras are not only the most vicious species of hooligan around, but also the best organised — partly because many have daytime jobs that involve wearing uniforms
The Daily Mirror.
Keith Moore, a 52-year-old England fan from Manchester, said: 'We were being hit constantly.
'We were just standing around having some beers and a bit of food on Saturday afternoon when around 25 Russians steamed in.
'You could easily see who they were – they had black T-shirts with Russian writing on and were all extremely muscular.
'They didn't muck about – they picked out English blokes to attack and then ran off when the police arrived.'
A man is led away by police as an England supporter follows in the background during the battles in Marseille on Saturday afternoon
Marseille is littered with broken bottles and chairs following the clashes between fans while many were injured
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Progress: 0%
0:00
Thirty-five people were injured in the worst violence at an international tournament since the 1998 World Cup in France, with three still in a serious condition.
One Russian, Vladimir, who considers violence a sport, said that England supporters were just 'big older men who drink a lot of beer'.
6 BRITS CHARGED OVER VIOLENCE BUT 150 RUSSIANS ESCAPE ARREST
A 16-year-old is among six English fans who will face trial today over football violence during Euro 2016.
One Austrian and three French spectators were also arrested and charged over clashes in Marseille.
Prosecutors said they would request jail sentences for the defendants as well as a ban on entering French territory.
But Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin admitted 150 specially trained Russian hooligans behind much of the violence that broke out ahead of the England-Russia game on Saturday had evaded arrest.
About 35 people have been injured, including four people whose conditions were described as serious.
Mr Robin told a news conference: 'These people were well prepared for ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action. These are extremely well trained people.'
The Moscow public relations manager, who is married with two children, says he does not care that UEFA has threatened to throw Russia, hosts of the World Cup in 2018, out of Euro 2016 if there is a repeat of Saturday's violence.
Vladimir, who spoke on condition that his family name is not used, spent less than 48 hours in Marseille but said he 'saw all the main events and took part to some extent'.
He estimated about 150 of Russia's 'strongest' hooligans flew to Marseille for the day for the England-Russia match.
The Lokomotiv Moscow follower said 500-600 of the team's fans take part in hooliganism at 'important events like the Euro'.
Spartak Moscow, CSKA Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg also have hooligan groups with hundreds of members each.
Their grounds have been notorious for racist chants against black players.
Up to 15,000 Russians were said to be in France for Euro 2016 and Vladimir said team loyalties were forgotten for such events.
'It doesn't matter which city fans come from or which team they support. It's important that we're all from Russia. We are going to fight the English.'
Russian hardcore fans give their gangs English names such as 'mob' or 'crew' but consider themselves bitter rivals of English fans.
'The English always say they are the main football hooligans.
'We went to show that the English are girls,' Vladimir said.
Many hooligans have little interest in the games and will not care if UEFA disqualifies their team, he added.
'I think it's a decision that won't influence in any way what hooligans do next,' he said.
'Nothing will stop these people.'
He contrasted Russian hooligans with England fans.
'Fans or hooligans from Russia are mainly younger, aged 20-30 and at home most of them are into sports. They do sports like boxing or all kinds of martial arts,' he said.
'The aim is to come and prove that English fans aren't hooligans, they don't know how to fight. A lot of Russian guys come specially with this aim.'
A video appears to show the Russian Sports Minister and head of Russian FA celebrating while watching the Russian supporters charge towards the English fans - who fled for the exits
Russian hooligans will try to provoke fights with a group of England fans at a bar by trying to grab their team banner, he said.
He stressed that while 'the English use chairs and bottles (to fight), the Russian style is only fists'.
RUSSIAN MP TELLS FANS TO KEEP ON FIGHTING THE ENGLISH
A senior Russian Football Union official and ultra-nationalist politician has said his country's fans were right to fight England supporters at Euro 2016.
Igor Lebedev, who sits on the RFU executive committee and is also a deputy speaker in parliament, said on Twitter: 'I don't see anything wrong with fans fighting.
'Quite the opposite, the guys did well. Keep it up!'
Lebedev, a member of the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia headed by his father Vladimir Zhirinovsky, said the violence was 'not the fans' fault'.
Lebedev blamed French police's 'inability to organise such events.'
Lebedev also claimed in a separate interview with Life.ru tabloid website that Russians were provoked by England supporters and suggested Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko would have enjoyed joining in the clashes.
'I personally think that if Mutko was with the fans on the stands and not an official, he would also go and fight the English fans since they were the ones who started it,' Lebedev said.
Mutko has said Russian hooligans are 'disgracing the country' ahead of its 2018 hosting of the World Cup.
Using weapons 'causes a lot of unnecessary injuries,' he said. 'For us it's like sport.'
'We don't have a desire to kill or injure. There is a desire to show our strength.'
Pro-Russian Twitter account English Russia, which tweets pictures and news from Russia, posted a series of memes mocking England fans.
One tweet showed a picture of a Russian fan kicking an English supporter with the caption: 'Putin's thugs kicked the s*** of young English pianist.'
Another tweet claimed: 'They say twenty or so Russian fans made all British fans run in disgrace from their seats.'
The head of Britain's Euro 2016 policing operation said Russian fans prepared for battle by bringing gum shields, martial arts gloves and knives.
Pictures showed dozens of youths rushing down Marseille streets with cafe chairs over their heads, ready to throw them, as the situation descended into chaos.
Vladimir said he thought that French police were passive during the outbreaks of violence.
'I got the sense it was interesting for them to see the Russians fight the English. They intervened at the last moment.'
He added that Russian hooligans do their best to blend into the crowd and never wear the team shirt or carry the national flag.
'If you see a guy wearing a Russian flag or a Russian T-shirt, he'll never be a hooligan,' Vladimir said.
'A hooligan must dress to fit in with the crowd. I wore a shirt, trousers and leather shoes.'
He said he would only go back to France if Russia play in the final and predicted that the other matches will be 'a lot calmer'.
Consciously uncluttered! Gwyneth Paltrow knocks $2 million off her pristine, white NYC apartment with embroidered...
