Moscow derby halted twice as field engulfed in smoke from flares
Sunday was derby day in European soccer – most notably in England, where Liverpool and Everton played to a 1-1 draw, and Manchester City beat Manchester United to take an 11-point lead atop the Premier League. But the craziest scenes of the day came from Moscow.
CSKA travelled to Spartak for a massive Moscow derby, and the atmosphere was as wild as you’d expect. Early in the first half, after Spartak had already taken a 1-0 lead, so-called Spartak “ultras” lit up one end behind the goal with flares:
Longer shot of the pyrotechnics at the Moscow derby. pic.twitter.com/3fYqpH99WR
— Andrew Roth (@ARothWP) December 10, 2017
They set off so many that most of the section became covered in smoke:
Entire ultras section engulfed in smoke after ten or so flares set off at once. pic.twitter.com/38kLZqe5UO
— Andrew Roth (@ARothWP) December 10, 2017
Here’s what the section looked like at one point from the inside:
Spartak Moscow vs. CSKA Moscow 10/12/2017 pic.twitter.com/LfsgTCgsRs
— Casual Ultra (@thecasualultra) December 10, 2017
The smoke, naturally, made its way on the field. The game was paused briefly as the referee and players waited for it to clear.
Match briefly halted because the keeper is somewhere in this fog. pic.twitter.com/efK4HLYoil
— Andrew Roth (@ARothWP) December 10, 2017
CSKA fans in the far corner also had a pyrotechnic display of their own that engulfed parts of the field in smoke:
CSKA away at Spartak in the Moscow derby 10/12/2017 pic.twitter.com/nNS9cs8ATt
— Casual Ultra (@thecasualultra) December 10, 2017
The match was ultimately suspended twice because of the smoke. Here’s another view from the stands:
Football is a simple game. 22 men chase a ball around for 90 minutes and then play is stopped twice because the fans set off fireworks inside the stadium. pic.twitter.com/8iPGw0OqaU
— Andrew Roth (@ARothWP) December 10, 2017
And a view from field level:
So what kind of fans are responsible for this madness? Uh …
Spartak won the match 3-0.