Britain axes visas fees for Zenit St. Petersburg soccer fans
The British Embassy in Moscow said on Thursday that Zenit St. Petersburg soccer fans travelling to Manchester next week for the UEFA Cup final will not have to pay for their visas.
Zenit St. Petersburg will play in UEFA Cup final against Glasgow Rangers on May 14.
The embassy said that visa fees will be waived for those fans who already have a match ticket and who submit an electronic visa application no later than midnight on May 9.
Zenit, owned and financed by Russian energy giant Gazprom, made it through to the first major European final in its history after a stunning 4-0 home win May 1 over German giants Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup semi-final, giving the Russian team a 5-1 aggregate victory.
A spokeswoman for Rossiya airlines said the company would lay on seven charter flights for some 1,500 Zenit soccer fans.
Britain's move to waive visa fees for Russian soccer fans seems to be in response to a move by Russia earlier in the week, when the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that British fans traveling to Moscow for the all-English Champions League final would not need a visa.
Manchester United are due to take on Chelsea in the Luzhniki stadium on May 21.
The British Embassy in Moscow said on Thursday that Zenit St. Petersburg soccer fans travelling to Manchester next week for the UEFA Cup final will not have to pay for their visas.
