Arsenal ‘well welcomed’ by Russia: Will they have a problem-free match?

Arsenal arrived in Moscow on Wednesday night and according to Arsene Wenger the team had a warm welcome despite political tensions between UK and Russia. Though only around 300 fans are expected to travel to Moscow for Thursday night’s Europa League quarter-final second-leg, Russians spared efforts to show a warm welcome to those fans by giving every Arsenal supporter a hat inscribed with the message “Russian Warm Welcome” as a gesture of goodwill. Arsene Wenger also predicts that they will have a problem-free match. “We have been well welcomed here,” he said. “Sport can always play a positive role in life and between countries as well – football is a good opportunity always to facilitate relations. I am convinced that Thursday night will be absolutely normal and the World Cup will be perfectly well organised. I have no problem about that but maybe sport will have a more active role during this period than ever. “We are not really informed what is right and wrong so it is best for us to stay out of that. We had no problems to come here – and I don’t think that will affect the game. We had many Russian fans in London. There was no problem. Why should it be different here?” Wenger added. CSKA Moscow vs Arsenal match is expected to be one of the most unpredictable and spectacular fixtures in Arsenal history that will be also fatal for both the club and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

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