VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — Late Wednesday afternoon, seconds after Russia’s Denis Glushakov scored with a sharp, well-placed header, a fan in the Russian end of Stade Pierre-Mauroy lit a flare. The flame was dark red. The fan held it above his head while other spectators danced and cheered, the sparks licking the air while the smoke rose.
Stewards quickly confronted the fan and the flare was extinguished. But the questions now lingering over this European Championships group-stage match — which Slovakia won, 2-1 — are obvious: Did the use of a flare, which is prohibited under UEFA rules, constitute another instance of a “crowd disturbance” by Russian supporters?