Euro 2012 proved that low-profile policing of stadiums is viable, the Russian Premier League's security chief said Tuesday.
The Russian approach to stadium security is to deploy hundreds, often thousands of police around arenas in tight cordons to deter any misconduct from the fans.
The effect is often such that only the most hardcore of supporters turn out, suffocating any family-friendly atmosphere that might have developed otherwise.
Asked about an absence of police at stadiums, as was the case with some Euro 2012 matches in Poland and Ukraine last month, Alexander Meitin noted: "The European experience testifies to the fact that this is good."
"The police act only when they are needed. In Ukraine no police were visible, they weren't noticed. We are striving for invisible security," Meitin said.
The Russian Interior Ministry announced in May that it wanted to shift responsibility for public order at football matches to the clubs because committing up to 5,000 police to games leaves the streets dangerously under-supervised.
Public order at Russian football has grown as an issue over the last few years, with clubs fined on a weekly basis for their fans' misbehavior.
Typical transgressions include throwing flares onto the pitch, abusive banners and chanting, and violence.
The league's executive director Sergei Cheban said the next few months would see a transition phase between police and clubs carrying responsibility for security through effective stewarding.
The 2012-13 season kicks off Friday.
