Arlene McCarthy said stricter controls are needed on May 21 to avoid a repeat of the chaos seen in Athens last year where it is thought there were 2,000 counterfeit tickets in circulation.
She said: “It is brilliant that fans will be able to travel to Moscow with their tickets and passports providing them visa free access. It is, however, vital that we avoid the chaos that occurred last year at Athens where genuine Liverpool fans arrived at the stadium only to find their seats had been taken by fans with counterfeit match tickets and, in some cases, photocopies of tickets.
“Uefa has assured me that electronic ticket barriers will be in place to reject counterfeit tickets.
“I am also extremely pleased that the Russian police have been shadowing British football preventative policing in Manchester and Liverpool.
“I sincerely hope that this will guarantee a trouble-free and positive experience for our real fans travelling to Moscow.
“It is clear that those peddling or using counterfeit tickets should expect harsh treatment.”
