England fans heading to next year's World Cup in Russia have been told to restrict their alcohol intake to one pint of beer before or after a game to ensure their safety.
Tourism executive Igor Karzov has claimed that he does not foresee a repeat of the violent clashes that marred Euro 2016, so long as Three Lions fans do not get too drunk.
Groups of Russian fans attacked England supporters in Marseille during last year's tournament, heightening fears that similar orchestrated incidents could occur.
Karzov, who works for Visit Russia, is quoted by The Telegraph as saying: "British fans love to drink a lot, we know that and I can't guarantee safety if fans are really drunk and offensive. We can't guarantee everything's going to be okay in that case. I would recommend to make sure that you don't drink a lot when you're in Russia. It's okay to have a pint before or after the game.
"The security services will have a high level of control in Russia so they will try to make sure that people are not drunk. They will be watching and set up controls. They will restrict alcohol to avoid any possible conflicts. The police will make sure everything is okay."
"I don't want to correspond the thing that happened in France to the World Cup because in general people in Russia are very hospitable and for them this is the biggest event in their lifetime. Most of them are going to make sure the foreign fans coming to Russia are feeling awesome and also enjoy the cities and the country."
The draw for the group stages of the World Cup will take place in the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Friday at 3pm GMT.
Giuseppe Labellarte
