MOSCOW, November 8 (RIA Novosti) - Anzhi Makhachkala have defied claims that their Europa League clash against Liverpool will be blighted by the sight of empty stands, saying Thursday that they expect a crowd of 16,000.
Anzhi has put in place tight security for the game, forcing home fans to buy their tickets by appointment with club staff or fan representatives, which prompted fears of an embarrassingly low attendance for Thursday’s game.
“According to the most recent data, 16,000 fans will come to the game,” Anzhi said on Twitter.
If that many fans attend the match at Moscow’s Lokomotiv stadium, the crowd will be bigger than at Russia's game against Northern Ireland in September at the same venue, even though the arena is 1,600 kilometers away from Anzhi’s home city in Dagestan.
UEFA security concerns about Anzhi’s North Caucasus home have forced the team to play their European home games in Moscow.
The new ticket rules were put in place after Moscow hooligans angry at Anzhi using the Lokomotiv stadium attended previous matches to shout racist abuse at Anzhi fans, who are mostly Dagestanis rather than ethnic Russians.
