England goalkeeper Joe Hart appeared to urge fans to stay safe inside the stadium after the Three Lions' 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday night.
A short clip of Hart surfaced on social media after the game where he gestures to the fans inside the Stade Velodrome in Marseille and appears to mouth the words 'be safe, stay here' as scenes of violence marred their opening group game.
After the final whistle, Russia and England fans clashed violently in ugly scenes that made headlines across the world.
UEFA has officially opened disciplinary proceedings against Russia for crowd disturbances and racist behaviour and expressed 'utter disgust' after the incident in Marseille.
"Be safe, stay here."
Class from Joe Hart last night... #ENGhttps://t.co/e2UN2PIY1a
"Uefa expresses its utter disgust for the violent clashes that occurred in the city centre of Marseille, and its serious concern for the incidents at the end of the match inside Stade Vélodrome,"? it said in a statement. "This kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable and has no place in football."? Uefa is expected to sanction Russia before their next game against Slovakia on Wednesday.
Saturday evening was the culmination of several clashes between Russian and England fans, who rioted with heavily armed police ahead of the match. Five people have been injured and six arrests made.
Uefa starts disciplinary proceedings against Russia after "unacceptable" scenes #euro2016 https://t.co/XOX8pmSEA0 pic.twitter.com/ozYoktuGfp
However, Vitaly Mutko, the Russian sports minister who spearheaded Russia's successful bid to host the 2018 World Cup, insisted the trouble in Marseille had been exaggerated.
"There was no clash ... That's being exaggerated, in fact everything is fine here,"? Mutko told R-Sport. "When the match ended, there was no barrier between the fans. The British were upset, of course, but it all quickly dissolved. Such matches should be organised properly. It is necessary to separate the fans [at the stadium]."?
BREAKING: Russian sports minister backing UEFA decision to open disciplinary proceeding against Russia #SSNHQ https://t.co/d4gzU6Kqpp