Russian, Dutch fans remember Luzhniki stadium disaster

Hundreds of Russian and Dutch fans got together on Saturday to mark the 25th anniversary of the Luzhniki stadium disaster.

Officials of the former Soviet Union failed for years to disclose the tragedy that occurred at a UEFA Cup match between Spartak Moscow and Dutch club HFC Haarlem on October 20, 1982.

When they did, the authorities gave an official death toll of 66 although the number who died in a crush at one exit could have been as high as 340.

"Today things seem pretty clear to me. We know why it happened. What I don't understand is why no one in Russia bothers to apologise 25 years after the tragedy," said Nina Novostruyeva.

Novostruyeva's 15-year-old son Mikhail died in the crush and on Saturday she went along with other members of the families of the victims to lay flowers at a monument near Luzhniki.

Spartak fan Vladimir Shorinov, who was at the UEFA Cup match, said it was a cold, snowy day. The stadium was half empty and only one part of it was open to spectators.

The Moscow side were leading 1-0 and some spectators headed for an exit before the final whistle, the only one of four open.

But the fans who were leaving rushed back up the icy stairs when Spartak scored a late goal, crushing people in the middle.

"The last thing they saw in their lives was football," said a Russian commentator at a benefit game on Saturday between veterans of Spartak and Haarlem, many of whom played on that day in 1982. Russia's Dutch coach Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat, who coaches Premier League club Zenit St Petersburg, helped organise the benefit game.

In 1982, Dutch fans were sitting in a separate section of the ground and used a different exit.