Rising Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas claimed his second ATP Tour title on Sunday by beating Mikhail Kukushkin in the final of the Marseille event.

The 20-year-old continued his excellent start to the year, which included a run to the Australian Open semi-finals on the back of a fourth-round defeat of Roger Federer, by battling to a 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) victory.

"Winning titles is the thing that I am working for... It is the biggest satisfaction and the biggest joy in tennis," said Tsitsipas, who won his first ATP title in Stockholm last year.

"There was a lot of stress this week because I knew I had to face some good opponents.

"When you care a lot, you tend to be more stressed than usual. I am happy that I got through that stress and played the game that I was supposed to play."

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🇬🇷 <a href="https://twitter.com/StefTsitsipas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StefTsitsipas</a> defeats Mikhail Kukushkin to lift the <a href="https://twitter.com/Open13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Open13</a> title. 👊 
 
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Tsitsipas went into the week having lost his last two matches to Gael Monfils and Damir Dzumhur, but cruised to the title without dropping a set.

"I lost the spark (after the Australian Open) and I was frustrated because it felt like I couldn't find it again," said Tsitsipas.

"This week, I can say I am really happy because I felt this hunger back again... I really hope it stays the same because there are many good players out there that play for the same prize."

On Sunday, Tsitsipas edged a tight opening set with the first break of the match in game 12, before falling a break behind midway through the second set.

But Kazakh Kukushkin failed to serve for the set when leading 5-4, and Tsistipas pounced to seal victory on his first match point in the tie-break.

Rising Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas claimed his second ATP Tour title on Sunday by beating Mikhail Kukushkin in the final of the Marseille event. The 20-year-old continued his excellent start to the year, which included a run to the Australian Open semi-finals on the back of a fourth-round defeat of Roger Federer, by battling to a 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) victory.

Rising Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas claimed his second ATP Tour title on Sunday by beating Mikhail Kukushkin in the final of the Marseille event. The 20-year-old continued his excellent start to the year, which included a run to the Australian Open semi-finals on the back of a fourth-round defeat of Roger Federer, by battling to a 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) victory. "Winning titles is the thing that I am working for... It is the biggest satisfaction and the biggest joy in tennis," said Tsitsipas, who won his first ATP title in Stockholm last year. "There was a lot of stress this week because I knew I had to face some good opponents. "When you care a lot, you tend to be more stressed than usual. I am happy that I got through that stress and played the game that I was supposed to play." 🇬🇷 @StefTsitsipas defeats Mikhail Kukushkin to lift the @Open13 title. 👊 Read More ▶️ https://t.co/axhBoeC705 pic.twitter.com/NoYWlBIASb — ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) February 24, 2019 × Tsitsipas went into the week having lost his last two matches to Gael Monfils and Damir Dzumhur, but cruised to the title without dropping a set. "I lost the spark (after the Australian Open) and I was frustrated because it felt like I couldn't find it again," said Tsitsipas. "This week, I can say I am really happy because I felt this hunger back again... I really hope it stays the same because there are many good players out there that play for the same prize." On Sunday, Tsitsipas edged a tight opening set with the first break of the match in game 12, before falling a break behind midway through the second set. But Kazakh Kukushkin failed to serve for the set when leading 5-4, and Tsistipas pounced to seal victory on his first match point in the tie-break.

Marseille Open: Stefanos Tsitsipas beats Mikhail Kukushkin to claim second ATP title

Neymar&#39;s broken foot and sprained ankle will keep him out of action for at least six weeks, his father said on Tuesday, but no decision has yet been made on whether surgery will be required to repair the damage.

The world&#39;s most expensive footballer suffered the injury during Sunday&#39;s 3-1 Ligue 1 win over Paris Saint Germain&#39;s arch-rivals Olympique de Marseille and the Brazilian was in tears as he was carried off the pitch at Parc de Princes.

His father said the damage was such that Neymar would definitely miss next week&#39;s Champions League encounter against Real Madrid.

&quot;PSG know that they won&#39;t have Neymar in the next few games and that they won&#39;t have Neymar for the next six weeks at least,&quot; he told ESPN Brasil.

&quot;Because this treatment is going to take six to eight weeks, we know that, whether it is surgery or conventional, it will be six or eight weeks.&quot;

Neymar Senior said his son and the French club were waiting to see the Brazil&#39;s national team doctor before deciding whether or not the forward needed surgery.

Brazil&#39;s most important player in recent years, Neymar is a key part of the squad that will head to the World Cup finals in Russia in June.

&quot;They will decide together,&quot; Neymar Sr said. &quot;It is a difficult time for us. We don&#39;t want to be in this situation. But we have to accept it and help Neymar as best we can.&quot;

The comments made live on air to a sports talk show contradicted those of Paris St Germain manager Unai Emery, who had said the 26-year old could be ready for the season-defining clash against Madrid.

PSG trail Real 3-1 ahead of the last 16 second-leg game in Paris on March 6.

Neymar has scored 28 goals and provided 16 assists for PSG this season.

The world's most expensive footballer suffered the injury during Sunday's 3-1 Ligue 1 win over Paris Saint Germain's arch-rivals Olympique de Marseille

Neymar's broken foot and sprained ankle will keep him out of action for at least six weeks, his father said on Tuesday, but no decision has yet been made on whether surgery will be required to repair the damage. The world's most expensive footballer suffered the injury during Sunday's 3-1 Ligue 1 win over Paris Saint Germain's arch-rivals Olympique de Marseille and the Brazilian was in tears as he was carried off the pitch at Parc de Princes. His father said the damage was such that Neymar would definitely miss next week's Champions League encounter against Real Madrid. "PSG know that they won't have Neymar in the next few games and that they won't have Neymar for the next six weeks at least," he told ESPN Brasil. "Because this treatment is going to take six to eight weeks, we know that, whether it is surgery or conventional, it will be six or eight weeks." Neymar Senior said his son and the French club were waiting to see the Brazil's national team doctor before deciding whether or not the forward needed surgery. Brazil's most important player in recent years, Neymar is a key part of the squad that will head to the World Cup finals in Russia in June. "They will decide together," Neymar Sr said. "It is a difficult time for us. We don't want to be in this situation. But we have to accept it and help Neymar as best we can." The comments made live on air to a sports talk show contradicted those of Paris St Germain manager Unai Emery, who had said the 26-year old could be ready for the season-defining clash against Madrid. PSG trail Real 3-1 ahead of the last 16 second-leg game in Paris on March 6. Neymar has scored 28 goals and provided 16 assists for PSG this season.

Football: Neymar Jr out for six to eight weeks, says Neymar Sr

West Ham signed former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra on a free transfer on Wednesday, with the Frenchman set to link up again with former boss David Moyes.

Evra has won multiple league titles and the Champions League in an illustrious career but his spell at Marseille ended abruptly in November after he launched a kung-fu kick at a supporter.&nbsp;

Evra, who joins the Hammers on a contract until the end of June, worked with Hammers manager Moyes during his time at Old Trafford and is looking forward to linking up with his old boss.

&quot;Im really happy to be a Hammer, to be back in the Premier League and I love this game,&quot; said the left-back.

&quot;When you have to make a deal and money is not the issue, the deal could be done in five minutes,&quot; added the Evra in a statement on the club&#39;s website. &quot;The main thing was for me to join West Ham and to help my teammates to win as many games as we can.

&quot;It was the fastest thing I have done in my life, because both parties wanted to work together, so it was very easy to make an agreement.&quot;

West Ham are 12th in the Premier League with 12 matches to play, but are only three points above the teams in 18th and 19th, two of the three relegation places.

Evra&#39;s departure from France came after he lashed out in response to a group of supporters who had come to the pitchside to berate him for what they considered sub-par displays.

The 36-year-old, capped 81 times by France, was hit with a season-long ban that only applies to UEFA club competitions.

Alex Ferguson took the Senegal-born player to Manchester United from Monaco in January 2006, and won five Premier League titles and the Champions League.

After spending his final season at Old Trafford working under Moyes, the defender moved to Italian champions Juventus in 2014 and enjoyed more domestic success before moving back to France in January 2017.

Evra&#39;s career has been dogged by controversy, not all of his making. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa he led a revolt of the French players against coach Raymond Domenech.

A year later, while playing for United, Evra was the target of a racist insult from then Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan was banned for eight matches and fined over the incident.

Evra has won multiple league titles and the Champions League in an illustrious career but his spell at Marseille ended abruptly in November after he launched a kung-fu kick at a supporter

West Ham signed former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra on a free transfer on Wednesday, with the Frenchman set to link up again with former boss David Moyes. Evra has won multiple league titles and the Champions League in an illustrious career but his spell at Marseille ended abruptly in November after he launched a kung-fu kick at a supporter. Evra, who joins the Hammers on a contract until the end of June, worked with Hammers manager Moyes during his time at Old Trafford and is looking forward to linking up with his old boss. "Im really happy to be a Hammer, to be back in the Premier League and I love this game," said the left-back. "When you have to make a deal and money is not the issue, the deal could be done in five minutes," added the Evra in a statement on the club's website. "The main thing was for me to join West Ham and to help my teammates to win as many games as we can. "It was the fastest thing I have done in my life, because both parties wanted to work together, so it was very easy to make an agreement." West Ham are 12th in the Premier League with 12 matches to play, but are only three points above the teams in 18th and 19th, two of the three relegation places. Evra's departure from France came after he lashed out in response to a group of supporters who had come to the pitchside to berate him for what they considered sub-par displays. The 36-year-old, capped 81 times by France, was hit with a season-long ban that only applies to UEFA club competitions. Alex Ferguson took the Senegal-born player to Manchester United from Monaco in January 2006, and won five Premier League titles and the Champions League. After spending his final season at Old Trafford working under Moyes, the defender moved to Italian champions Juventus in 2014 and enjoyed more domestic success before moving back to France in January 2017. Evra's career has been dogged by controversy, not all of his making. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa he led a revolt of the French players against coach Raymond Domenech. A year later, while playing for United, Evra was the target of a racist insult from then Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan was banned for eight matches and fined over the incident.

Evra, kicked out of Marseille, joins West Ham on free transfer

France has mobilised 1500 firefighters to deal with wildfires in countryside North of Marseille that have gutted buildings and forced more than 1000 people to flee their homes. 
 
Whipped up by strong winds, the blaze took hold around 3:30 pm (local time) and has spread over 2260 hectares (5600 acres) of scrubland, grass and some wooded areas, according to firefighters. 
 
&quot;We haven&#39;t seen a situation like this for a very long time,&quot; the fire service said, first calling the wildfires &quot;out of control&quot; but later describing more favourable conditions in the night. 
 
Homes were destroyed in the town of Vitrolles, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) North of Marseille, with more than 1,000 people forced to seek shelter in local sports centres. 
 
Dramatic images showed a helicopter battling to douse a blazing hillside with water just metres from a motorway close to Vitrolles, while one person was seriously injured in nearby Rognac. 
 
The blaze, which comes after low rainfall in winter and spring left southeast France extremely dry, sent a huge pall of smoke into the sky over the port city of Marseille. 
 
&quot;The fire seems to be less intense than before but is not yet under control,&quot; Marseille mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin said in a tweet. 
Further west in Herault, four firefighters were injured battling another blaze when their vehicle was surrounded by the flames. 
 
Hundreds of extra firefighters have been drafted in from elsewhere in France to tackle the blaze. 
 
Road and air transport were badly affected by the fire yesterday evening, with two motorways closed and some flights cancelled at Marseille airport.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

Hundreds of extra firefighters have been drafted in from elsewhere in France to tackle the blaze

France has mobilised 1500 firefighters to deal with wildfires in countryside North of Marseille that have gutted buildings and forced more than 1000 people to flee their homes. Whipped up by strong winds, the blaze took hold around 3:30 pm (local time) and has spread over 2260 hectares (5600 acres) of scrubland, grass and some wooded areas, according to firefighters. "We haven't seen a situation like this for a very long time," the fire service said, first calling the wildfires "out of control" but later describing more favourable conditions in the night. Homes were destroyed in the town of Vitrolles, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) North of Marseille, with more than 1,000 people forced to seek shelter in local sports centres. Dramatic images showed a helicopter battling to douse a blazing hillside with water just metres from a motorway close to Vitrolles, while one person was seriously injured in nearby Rognac. The blaze, which comes after low rainfall in winter and spring left southeast France extremely dry, sent a huge pall of smoke into the sky over the port city of Marseille. "The fire seems to be less intense than before but is not yet under control," Marseille mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin said in a tweet. Further west in Herault, four firefighters were injured battling another blaze when their vehicle was surrounded by the flames. Hundreds of extra firefighters have been drafted in from elsewhere in France to tackle the blaze. Road and air transport were badly affected by the fire yesterday evening, with two motorways closed and some flights cancelled at Marseille airport. (PTI)

Southern France battles bush fires, more than 1,000 evacuated

Portugal&#39;s coach Fernando Santos will leave his final decision on team selection for the quarter-final clash against Poland until today morning because of injuries to at least two players, he told reporters. 
 
Speaking on the eve of the game in Marseille, Santos also said he viewed the two sides as evenly matched which could result in a tight, defensive contest. 
 
&quot;There are some players who aren&#39;t 100 per cent fit so we&#39;ll wait until tomorrow to ascertain whether they are entirely fit or not and if they can play or not,&quot; Santos said. 
 
&quot;Sometimes the players can recover and we still have 24 hours to go.&quot; 
 
Defender Raphael Guerreiro and midfielder Andre Gomes have not trained since Monday and on Wednesday were again not on the pitch with the rest of the squad. 
 
The two sides have met 10 times with their last encounter ending in a goalless draw in 2012 and the omens are that it could be another close game. 
 
Apart from a stunning bicycle kick goal by Switzerland&#39;s Xherdan Shaqiri, the Polish defence has not been breached. 
 
Portugal&#39;s last five European Championship ties have ended in draws after 90 minutes, although they scraped through against Croatia in the last 16 with a 117th minute winner. 
 
&quot;I think it&#39;s a 50-50 match. My players know that. They (Poland) are here on their own merit,&quot; Santos said. 
 
Asked if it could be similar to the Croatia clash, Santos lauded Poland&#39;s defensive unity and collective spirit. 
 
&quot;Of course, it will be a game of a lot of strategy. Sometimes there is a Gordion Knot that you can&#39;t untie,&quot; he said, referring to the mythological legend used as a metaphor for a difficult problem. 
 
&quot;There will be a strong strategic component to this game, because if you concede four goals nobody can ensure you can score five,&quot; he quipped. 
 
Talisman Cristiano Ronaldo struggled against Croatia producing one shot, but Santos defended his &quot;amazing&quot; captain. 
 
&quot;We want to strike a balance, of course. We want Ronaldo to shoot on target 15 times and score 10 goals, but our opponents won&#39;t let us and that&#39;s part of the game,&quot; Santos said. 
 
There have also been concerns over the Stade Velodrome pitch, but Santos, whose country lost to France in the 1984 European Championship semi-final in Marseille, said it looked better than expected. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve thought about the match here in 1984, but we played against France so you can&#39;t compare the two. It&#39;s apples and oranges,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)

The two sides have met 10 times with their last encounter ending in a goalless draw in 2012

Portugal's coach Fernando Santos will leave his final decision on team selection for the quarter-final clash against Poland until today morning because of injuries to at least two players, he told reporters. Speaking on the eve of the game in Marseille, Santos also said he viewed the two sides as evenly matched which could result in a tight, defensive contest. "There are some players who aren't 100 per cent fit so we'll wait until tomorrow to ascertain whether they are entirely fit or not and if they can play or not," Santos said. "Sometimes the players can recover and we still have 24 hours to go." Defender Raphael Guerreiro and midfielder Andre Gomes have not trained since Monday and on Wednesday were again not on the pitch with the rest of the squad. The two sides have met 10 times with their last encounter ending in a goalless draw in 2012 and the omens are that it could be another close game. Apart from a stunning bicycle kick goal by Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri, the Polish defence has not been breached. Portugal's last five European Championship ties have ended in draws after 90 minutes, although they scraped through against Croatia in the last 16 with a 117th minute winner. "I think it's a 50-50 match. My players know that. They (Poland) are here on their own merit," Santos said. Asked if it could be similar to the Croatia clash, Santos lauded Poland's defensive unity and collective spirit. "Of course, it will be a game of a lot of strategy. Sometimes there is a Gordion Knot that you can't untie," he said, referring to the mythological legend used as a metaphor for a difficult problem. "There will be a strong strategic component to this game, because if you concede four goals nobody can ensure you can score five," he quipped. Talisman Cristiano Ronaldo struggled against Croatia producing one shot, but Santos defended his "amazing" captain. "We want to strike a balance, of course. We want Ronaldo to shoot on target 15 times and score 10 goals, but our opponents won't let us and that's part of the game," Santos said. There have also been concerns over the Stade Velodrome pitch, but Santos, whose country lost to France in the 1984 European Championship semi-final in Marseille, said it looked better than expected. "We've thought about the match here in 1984, but we played against France so you can't compare the two. It's apples and oranges," he said. (Reuters)

Portugal sweating on injuries ahead of Poland clash

UEFA began disciplinary proceedings today against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium for incidents in their Euro 2016 matches the previous day. 
 
Portugal is charged with allowing a pitch invasion, Hungary for allowing crowd disturbances and other offences and Belgium for its fans setting off fireworks and throwing objects. 
 
A fan ran on to the pitch in Portugal&#39;s 0-0 draw with Austria at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. 
 
In Marseille, Hungarian fans clashed with stewards in the Stade Velodrome as they tried to climb a fence to join up with another group of Hungarians before the 1-1 draw with Iceland. 
 
Hungary is also accused of allowing its fans to set off fireworks and throwing objects. 
 
The punishment in that case will be announced on Tuesday. 
 
Belgium also faces charges that its supporters threw fireworks and other objects during the 3-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux. 
 
UEFA said it was yet to decide a date for its disciplinary committee to meet on the cases of Belgium and Portugal. 
(AFP)

A fan ran on to the pitch after Portugal's 0-0 draw with Austria in Paris and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo

UEFA began disciplinary proceedings today against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium for incidents in their Euro 2016 matches the previous day. Portugal is charged with allowing a pitch invasion, Hungary for allowing crowd disturbances and other offences and Belgium for its fans setting off fireworks and throwing objects. A fan ran on to the pitch in Portugal's 0-0 draw with Austria at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. In Marseille, Hungarian fans clashed with stewards in the Stade Velodrome as they tried to climb a fence to join up with another group of Hungarians before the 1-1 draw with Iceland. Hungary is also accused of allowing its fans to set off fireworks and throwing objects. The punishment in that case will be announced on Tuesday. Belgium also faces charges that its supporters threw fireworks and other objects during the 3-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux. UEFA said it was yet to decide a date for its disciplinary committee to meet on the cases of Belgium and Portugal. (AFP)

UEFA opens disciplinary probes against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium

A small group of Russian and English fans briefly scuffled in Lille in the early hours of Wednesday (June 15) morning, after bars and pubs closed in the northern French city where thousands of supporters continue to arrive for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. 
 
Lille is seen as the next potential Euro 2016 trouble spot as Russia play Slovakia there on Wednesday. England fans are also congregating there ahead of their match against Wales in nearby Lens on Thursday (June 16). 
 
Both teams have been threatened with expulsion from the competition if the violence seen in Marseille last week is repeated. 
 
The brief skirmish between the Russian and English fans was broken up by police. 
 
Authorities in Lille and Lens have ordered alcohol bans running from Tuesday (June 14) to Friday (June 17), officials said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

They scuffle in Lille despite UEFA warning that they will be disqualified if they do so

A small group of Russian and English fans briefly scuffled in Lille in the early hours of Wednesday (June 15) morning, after bars and pubs closed in the northern French city where thousands of supporters continue to arrive for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. Lille is seen as the next potential Euro 2016 trouble spot as Russia play Slovakia there on Wednesday. England fans are also congregating there ahead of their match against Wales in nearby Lens on Thursday (June 16). Both teams have been threatened with expulsion from the competition if the violence seen in Marseille last week is repeated. The brief skirmish between the Russian and English fans was broken up by police. Authorities in Lille and Lens have ordered alcohol bans running from Tuesday (June 14) to Friday (June 17), officials said. (Reuters)

Never mind the warning, Russia and England fans go at it again

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa&#39;s possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. 
 
The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King&#39;s Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. 
 
New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return.&nbsp;Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. 
 
&quot;He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player,&quot; Cerezo told reporters.&nbsp;&quot;The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I&#39;ve always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That&#39;s the end of this issue.&nbsp;The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it.&quot; 
 
The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte&#39;s first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. 
 
(Reuters)

New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spanish player will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa's possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King's Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return. Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. "He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player," Cerezo told reporters. "The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I've always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That's the end of this issue. The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it." The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte's first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. (Reuters)

Atletico Madrid president Cerezo rules out Costa's return this summer

A French court today jailed three Russian football supporters for up to two years for their role in violence in Marseille before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match. 
 
Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police in southern France on Tuesday after the pitched battles which left more than 30 people injured. 
 
Yerunov, 29, who is supporters&#39; liaison officer at Lokomotiv Moscow according to the club&#39;s website, received the longest prison sentence of 24 months. 
 
He admitted he was at the scene of an attack on an English supporter who was left in a critical state after being beaten around the head with an iron bar. He denied being responsible. 
 
&quot;I apologise. I recognise that I was there but I didn&#39;t hit anyone. My hands are clean,&quot; he told the court. 
 
Gorbachev, who leads a supporters&#39; club at Russian second division club Arsenal Tula, was jailed for 18 months. 
 
Morozov, 28, received the shortest sentence of 12 months. 
 
Prosecutor Andre Ribe described the Russians&#39; behaviour in the chaotic scenes in Marseille on Saturday: &quot;It was a hunt. They ran off together, staying in a group and keeping enough energy for what they call &#39;the fight&#39;.&quot; 
(AFP)

Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police on Tuesday

A French court today jailed three Russian football supporters for up to two years for their role in violence in Marseille before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match. Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police in southern France on Tuesday after the pitched battles which left more than 30 people injured. Yerunov, 29, who is supporters' liaison officer at Lokomotiv Moscow according to the club's website, received the longest prison sentence of 24 months. He admitted he was at the scene of an attack on an English supporter who was left in a critical state after being beaten around the head with an iron bar. He denied being responsible. "I apologise. I recognise that I was there but I didn't hit anyone. My hands are clean," he told the court. Gorbachev, who leads a supporters' club at Russian second division club Arsenal Tula, was jailed for 18 months. Morozov, 28, received the shortest sentence of 12 months. Prosecutor Andre Ribe described the Russians' behaviour in the chaotic scenes in Marseille on Saturday: "It was a hunt. They ran off together, staying in a group and keeping enough energy for what they call 'the fight'." (AFP)

Russian fans jailed for up to 2 years for Euro 2016 violence

A passenger ferry docked in the southern French port of Marseille was evacuated on Sunday after an explosion was felt on board, with authorities investigating if it was caused by an old wartime bomb. 
 
France has been on high alert following the Bastille Day truck attack in Nice which killed 84 and the jihadist murder of a priest last week. 
 
All the passengers had already disembarked after their voyage from Corsica and the blast did not cause any damage to the ship or dock, officials said. 
 
&quot;The Jean Nicoli of the shipping company Corsica Linea had completed its disembarking operations after coming from Porto Vecchio when what appears to be an underwater explosion shook the ship,&quot; the Marseille port authority said in a statement. 
 
&quot;The ship&#39;s captain immediately implemented security procedures and suspended the operation of embarking passengers for the next destination of Porto Torres in Sardinia,&quot; it said. 
 
Marseille deputy prosecutor Jean-Jacques Fagni confirmed to AFP that the explosion &quot;very fortunately was without any consequences, neither to property nor person&quot;. 
 
The port authority said only crew members were on board at the time and all were immediately evacuated. A maintenance worker said, &quot;I was in the cabin, and there was noise: &#39;boom&#39;.&quot; Another worker said, &quot;It went &#39;boom&#39; and we felt like something moving up and down.&quot; 
 
Investigation underway&nbsp; 
 
An investigation was underway to determine the cause of the explosion. The magistrate had initially said it appeared to be caused by an old explosive device on the seabed. 
 
Dives conducted during the afternoon however did not seem to support this hypothesis, according to a source familiar with the incident. &quot;There was something, for sure, but what?&quot; said the source. 
 
The prosecutor said on Sunday night, &quot;It is still too early to say what it is or what it is not,&quot; while noting that they had not ruled out it being caused by an old bomb. 
 
Marseille police commissioner Laurent Nunez said &quot;security measures&quot; had been taken, including inspections of other quays, following the incident. After &quot;removing any doubts&quot; he allowed the ship to depart on Sunday night for Sardinia, its original destination. 
 
There are numerous World War II munitions in the sea and on land around Marseille, which was the scene of a major battle. In January frogmen found 50 unexploded shells off the port. 
 
(AFP)

Authorities are investigating if the explosion was caused by an old wartime bomb

A passenger ferry docked in the southern French port of Marseille was evacuated on Sunday after an explosion was felt on board, with authorities investigating if it was caused by an old wartime bomb. France has been on high alert following the Bastille Day truck attack in Nice which killed 84 and the jihadist murder of a priest last week. All the passengers had already disembarked after their voyage from Corsica and the blast did not cause any damage to the ship or dock, officials said. "The Jean Nicoli of the shipping company Corsica Linea had completed its disembarking operations after coming from Porto Vecchio when what appears to be an underwater explosion shook the ship," the Marseille port authority said in a statement. "The ship's captain immediately implemented security procedures and suspended the operation of embarking passengers for the next destination of Porto Torres in Sardinia," it said. Marseille deputy prosecutor Jean-Jacques Fagni confirmed to AFP that the explosion "very fortunately was without any consequences, neither to property nor person". The port authority said only crew members were on board at the time and all were immediately evacuated. A maintenance worker said, "I was in the cabin, and there was noise: 'boom'." Another worker said, "It went 'boom' and we felt like something moving up and down." Investigation underway An investigation was underway to determine the cause of the explosion. The magistrate had initially said it appeared to be caused by an old explosive device on the seabed. Dives conducted during the afternoon however did not seem to support this hypothesis, according to a source familiar with the incident. "There was something, for sure, but what?" said the source. The prosecutor said on Sunday night, "It is still too early to say what it is or what it is not," while noting that they had not ruled out it being caused by an old bomb. Marseille police commissioner Laurent Nunez said "security measures" had been taken, including inspections of other quays, following the incident. After "removing any doubts" he allowed the ship to depart on Sunday night for Sardinia, its original destination. There are numerous World War II munitions in the sea and on land around Marseille, which was the scene of a major battle. In January frogmen found 50 unexploded shells off the port. (AFP)

French ferry evacuated after mystery underwater explosion

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