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Your support makes all the difference.Nobody could accuse the Russians of courting popularity before their arrival at Cardiff Airport this morning.
That they are the team blocking Wales' first major finals since 1958, a date more quoted in the principality than 1066, would have guaranteed Georgi Yartsev's team a frozen welcome but trying to ban Ryan Giggs from the second leg of this European Championship play-off was to invite a typhoon of abuse at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow.
The Russian Football Union has sent Uefa, the governing body of European football, a tape of the first leg which it claims shows Giggs elbowing full-back Vadim Evseev during Saturday's fractious goalless draw. Should Uefa's control and discipline committee decide to take action, Wales' one true world-class player could miss the most vital match he has ever played for his country.
This is an unlikely scenario, since Uefa would have to receive the video by this morning and convene a meeting today as no footballer can be suspended on the day of a match. Although the RFU claim the video has been sent to Switzerland, it had not arrived yesterday afternoon, which still leaves the possibility that while Giggs might be cleared to play tomorrow he could be suspended in Portugal if Wales qualify.
Last season Alan Shearer was caught on camera elbowing Fabio Cannavaro as Internazionale played Newcastle at St James' Park and was suspended for two Champions' League fixtures.
The initial Russian protest, led by Yartsev during the match at the Lokomotiv Stadium, was dismissed by the Uefa delegate, Andreas Akkelides, who considered the Portuguese referee had dealt with the incident. A statement from the Football Association of Wales said they were "disappointed the Russians have decided to go down this road". The statement added: "We are confident he will be able to play on Wednesday."
Shortly before the alleged elbowing, Giggs had been felled by Evseev with a brutally crude tackle which the Manchester United winger described as "one of the worst I have had to contend with in my career". When asked about his use of the elbow, Giggs replied: "All I have done is to shrug him off."
Such was the ill-feeling generated in Moscow that the sides are more likely to swap punches than shirts when the final whistle blows tomorrow night.
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