Vladimir Putin instructed to simplify the Fan ID passport system for football fans by the beginning of May, primarily for people with disabilities, pensioners and children. The corresponding instruction was published on the Kremlin website.
The Fan ID Law was adopted at the end of 2021, it came into force in June of the following year. Fan ID can only be obtained at the State Services, and it can be refused due to past offenses, a court ban on attending matches, or police information about the fan’s “intention” to “disturb public order” during the game.
Fans of almost all RPL clubs refused to issue a fan ID, pointing to the repressiveness and lack of transparency of the initiative. Many fans declared a boycott of matches before the repeal of the law, after which the attendance of matches fell several times. Now football clubs are trying to lure fans to the stands with gifts and excursions.
Championship wrote that the system failed on the first day of work. Not only ordinary fans, but also sports journalists complained about problems with Fan ID registration. According to the Ministry of Digital Development, by the beginning of spring 2023, more than 450,000 people had issued Fan ID. In St. Petersburg, by March 10, only 48,000 people had issued a fan card, while the capacity of the Gazprom Arena was 68,000.