Poland expects 20,000 Russian fans to arrive in Warsaw with tickets for the final Group A match with Greece, twice the number who came to the game with Poland that was marred by bloody street clashes (krwawe starcia uliczne) on Tuesday.

On Wednesday a Warsaw court issued first sentences to hooligans (chuligani) who took part in the skirmishes (potyczki) with Russian supporters, handing out suspended jail terms of up to 12 months and fines to eight Poles.

Police detained 184 people, 156 of them Poles and most of the rest Russians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a phone conversation on Wednesday Warsaw bore “full responsibility” for the safety of fans, comments raising the stakes in a violent confrontation which brought the nations’ troubled relationship to the fore.

The trigger for Tuesday’s trouble was a march across Poniatowski bridge in central Warsaw by thousands of Russian fans to commemorate Russia’s Independence Day.

The interior ministry declined to say how it would get fans to the stadium this time without trouble, although city authorities have already said they would oppose any further set piece marches. Many Russian fans did make their way peacefully to the stadium in smaller groups on Tuesday.

A UEFA ruling against Russia on Wednesday means that the country will be docked six points in qualifying for the next European Championship if their fans step out of line again after earlier disturbances (zaburzenia) at the tournament.

Some unofficial estimates put as many as 20,000 Russians in the city during Tuesday’s violence, many of them without tickets for the game – suggesting that the overall number coming to the city for the Greek game could be higher.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)