Zenit St Petersburg have quickly responded to a report that Celtic fans will be targeted in the Russia City this week.
The report appeared at 8pm on Sunday night but within an hour the @fczenit_en was on the case with 500 fans expected to follow Brendan Rodgers’ side in midweek.
Every foreign city carries various risks, Zenit fans travelling to Glasgow would have been aware of issues in Manchester and London over the last year, but there is no specific threat to Celtic fans in St Petersburg.
Celtic fans please don’t listen to this, you will definitely receive a warm welcome from everyone in our city. Your FCO have published official advice on coming to the match and it has no mention of fake cops or gangsters.
Source: https://t.co/jpSIWKEX9P) #FAKENEWS https://t.co/1NXUmuKIJ6— FC Zenit in English (@fczenit_en) February 18, 2018
I haven’t “invented” anything – this is the advice on the Foreign Office’s website about St Petersburg. pic.twitter.com/xS45Oht0I1
— Rebecca Gray (@RGray_87) February 18, 2018
With a visa charge of £100 and an exhaustive process to go through at the Russian Consul in Edinburgh the appeal of the trip to a city in the midst of winter is restricted to only the most dedicated of Celtic supporters.
As with all European ties there is extensive contact between the competing clubs with UEFA insisting that all competing clubs have a dedicated Supporter Liaison Officer.
Celtic take a 1-0 advantage into the match thanks to Callum McGregor’s strike in the first leg which passed off without incident.