'England fan' detained after beloved statue vandalised at World Cup stadium where Three Lions beat Colombia
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A World Cup fan has been detained after writing "England" on a statue of a legendary Russian footballer before the Three Lions' clash with Colombia.
The word was scrawled in red across the chest of a tribute to midfielder Fyodor Cherenkov, regarded as one of Spartak Moscow's best players ever.
Moscow police said one person was detained after the statue outside Spartak Stadium was vandalised before Tuesday night's round of 16 match.
Police did not identify the suspect or reveal the person's nationality, but local media claimed it was an England fan.
(Image: @SelemenevE7/Twitter)
Photos of the vandalised statue sparked outrage on social media in Russia, with users directing their anger towards England fans.
The red lettering was washed off afterwards.
Police assured fans that the incident was being investigated and that a suspect had been identified and detained.
(Image: Alamy)
If the detained fan held a ticket for the England v Colombia match they would have missed the penalty shootout thriller.
Cherenkov was a prolific scorer with FC Spartak Moscow, hitting the net 86 times in 344 appearances from 1977 to 1990.
The footballer, who died aged 55 in October 2014, won four titles with Russia's most successful club, and also played for the Soviet national team, with 43 caps.
He left Spartak Moscow in 1993 with a club record of 494 appearances.
The two-time USSR player of the year was suffering from a brain tumour when he died.
After his death, the statue was erected outside the stadium and a stand was named in his honour.
Spartak Moscow said at the time: "With his brilliant, cheerful, genuine and ethereal performances, Fedor Cherenkov had brought a lot of joy to millions of fans in the whole country.
"He had largely personified the very core of Spartak's football," the Moscow club announced on their website.
"A stand at the new Otkrytie Arena will be named after Cherenkov and a statue of the midfielder is also planned."
Meanwhile, a pub's £50-a-table World Cup viewing party descended into chaos as England fans got into a massive brawl on Tuesday night.
Shocking scenes show female football fans joining the fray as a group of men lay into each other during the England vs Colombia match.
Devon and Cornwall Police announced on Wednesday that a 49-year-old man has died after he was injured in a fight outside a pub the same night as the England vs Belgium game.
The man suffered serious injuries in the "altercation" outside The Three Elms pub in Brixham, Devon on June 28, and died in hospital on Tuesday.
A murder investigation has been launched.