St. Petersburg, Nov 29 (IANS): In a bid to crack down on fan violence, defending Russian Premier League football champions FC Zenit St Petersburg have decided to institute a mandatory ID policy for ticket purchase.
Fans seeking tickets for Zenit's upcoming away fixture against Spartak Moscow Friday will be forced to join Zenit's official fan network and to show their national ID cards.
Ticket purchases will also be limited to one per person, reports Xinhua.
These measures come after violent behaviour from Zenit fans which forced the abandonment of the club's away game against Dynamo Moscow Nov 17.
In a further effort by the Russian Football Union to punish hooligan violence, Zenit have also been forced to play two home games in front of an empty stadium.