Nazi salute video creates a storm, British police investigate England World Cup fans

Moscow: British police said on Wednesday they were investigating images of England football fans making Nazi salutes in what appeared to be a bar in the Russian city of Volgograd, where England played Tunisia on Monday.

The video, shared widely on social media, shows three fans raising their arms in the salute and singing an anti-Semitic song with references to the Auschwitz concentration camp, punctuated with shouts of “Sieg Heil”.

“The abhorrent behaviour seen in this video is completely unacceptable and it will not be tolerated,” said Detective Superintendent Caroline Marsh, Britain’s investigations lead for the Russia World Cup.

“Our investigation team in the UK is already making swift enquiries to identify those involved and will seek to take all appropriate action against them.”

The English Football Association said it “strongly condemned” the actions of the people in the video.

“We are working with the relevant authorities, including the UK police investigations team, who are making enquiries to identify the individuals involved and take appropriate action,” a representative said.

“The disgraceful conduct of the individuals in this video does not represent the values of the majority of English football fans supporting the team in Russia.”

Before the game against Tunisia, English football fans and a British diplomat paid tribute to the victims of the bloodiest battle of World War Two, which took place in Volgograd, then called Stalingrad.

In the battle, the Soviet Red Army, at a cost of over a million casualties, broke the back of advancing German forces.

Commenting on the Nazi salute incident, the British embassy in Russia said its advice for all visiting fans was “to be good guests whilst they are here, by following local laws and customs”.