French police detained Russian far-right fan leader Alexander Shprygin as he watched his nation play at Euro 2016 just two days after being expelled from France, the French Ministry of the Interior said.
Shprygin, whose visa had been canceled on Monday, could now face a court case, authorities said.
The head of the Russian supporters’ association, who has been pictured with Russian President Vladimir Putin, was put on a plane to Moscow on Saturday with 19 other fans.
All denied involvement in fan troubles, largely blamed on Russian fans, in Marseille on June 11 and he had vowed to return. An investigation source said it was likely that Shprygin flew to Barcelona, Spain, and then crossed the frontier to Toulouse in southwest France by road.
Russia played their final Euro 2016 game in Toulouse against Wales and lost 3-0.
“Alexander Shprygin was arrested in the stadium this evening and placed in custody,” ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said. “His case will be examined and be handled administratively or lead to legal proceedings.”
Shortly before his detention, Shprygin said by telephone from the Stadium de Toulouse that four others among the 20 expelled had also returned to France.
“I am at the match with a ticket,” Shprygin said, insisting that he had “crossed the Alps” to get into France. “The French authorities told me I was not deported, but just expelled. My Schengen visa has not been canceled and all the stamps are there. So I can legally be in the European Union.”
However, the ministry spokesman said that Shprygin’s visa had been canceled on Monday and an order banning him from entering France had been issued.
Twenty Russians were banned under the order, the spokesman added.
Russia protested to France over the treatment of the supporters last week.
Shprygin posted photographs of himself outside the stadium on his Twitter account, wearing a blue straw hat and sunglasses.
Russian fans have been accused of staging an orchestrated campaign of violence against England supporters in Marseille.
Thirty-five people were injured, the majority England fans, including two men who are still in a serious state in hospital.
Shprygin, who works for nationalist lawmaker Igor Lebedev, was among 43 Russian fans arrested in southern France three days after the Marseille turmoil.
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