There are many things that could turn Socceroos fans off travelling to Russia in June to see their team play at the World Cup: sports doping scandals, mafia corruption and Vladimir Putin with his shirt off.

But as someone who lived in Moscow for seven years in the 1990s, and was delighted when I returned for the first time in a decade last year, I think there are equally good reasons to make soccer the excuse to finally do Russia this year.