Sure, some might point to the hosting of the G8 Summit or the selection of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics as the climatic moment of national pride for the country’s resurgence, but for many ordinary Russian sports fans, the kick-off in about three hours of the Champion’s League Final Match between Manchester United and Chelsea means so much more that. It is the biggest football (soccer) game of the year, and millions will be tuning in to have a look at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, while the city logs a record number of British visitors. Leaving aside for the moment the well-practiced discussion over whether or not Russia deserves to host such high profile events, or whether such exposure is a good thing to help bring further pressure to bear upon the authoritarian abuses of the state, this event already looks like it’s shaping up a be a watershed for UK-Russia relations (as well as a hell of an exciting match). There’s only one monkeywrench thrown into this nice bit of sports diplomacy: Andrei Lugovoi wants to go.