Moscow has scarcely been a happy hunting ground for football supporters in recent years. Shots were fired at Wales supporters in Red Square a few years back, while England fans were subjected to random beatings from gangs of Russian hooligans when they visited the city last year. It’s estimated that a third of fans at England’s game in Moscow in October fell victims to crimes ranging from assaults and elaborate scams worked by street criminals through to extortion by corrupt policemen.

Plenty of planning and even more money has been ploughed into the staging of the Champions League final by the Russian authorities. But will that be enough to ensure the safe passage of Chelsea and Manchester United fans travelling to Russia later this month? Can the Russians even ensure everyone who wants to travel will get a visa in time?

Should Uefa should have moved the final tie from Moscow to an alternative venue? Or, in the words of Premier League Chief executive Richard Scudamore, is staging it there “an important part of football development in Russia?