English fans retreat from Moscow
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Manchester United supporters have been dancing in the streets of Moscow after their Champions League victory.
But the Russian police were making every effort to keep jubilant followers of the newly-crowned tsars of European football away from their disappointed Chelsea rivals.
The Russian authorities were so worried about trouble between an estimated 42,000 English football fans they drafted in 15,000 police officers and troops to patrol the capital ahead of Wednesday night's clash.
About 6,000 police and soldiers were drafted in to keep the fans apart in the Luzhniki Stadium, while another 9,000 were deployed around Moscow.
The red and blue armies were even allocated their own airports to avoid any confrontation, with Chelsea fans landing at Vnukovo and United supporters diverted to Domodedovo on the other side of the city.
Many fans were expected to head directly to Moscow's airports for return flights after the match finished in the early hours of Thursday local time.
Moscow's famously opulent underground system stay open two hours longer than usual to accommodate supporters.
Moscow's police's zero tolerance approach to rowdy behaviour, appeared to have paid off, with just one ugly incident involving young Russians and about 20 Manchester United fans scuffling outside a bar.
Fans from both sides said media horror stories about Russia were unjustified.
Chelsea fan Gary Wagner, from Dorset, said: 'The police let us on the metro for free. They said: 'Don't worry about it'.
'English media have been a bit of a nightmare, with a lot of stories about this and that, but we've had a fantastic time.'
United supporter Rick Welch said : 'We'd heard stories about pints costing £10 and skinheads nicking your boots, but it seems like a fantastic place.'
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