Police said there were no serious disturbances and described the atmosphere in Moscow as calm and the fans as well-behaved.

‘Most have gone back home on the buses to the airports,’ a police spokesman said.

‘The others have gone to their hotels or are relaxing in bars and restaurants. It's all quiet.’

Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties after the teams drew 1-1 in the first all-English Champion's League Final. United also beat Chelsea to the English Premier League title this season.

Thousands of extra police had manned Moscow's streets earlier in the day, ready both to snuff out any signs of trouble and to point lost soccer fans in the right direction.

Red and yellow flags decked out Moscow's streets, an artificial soccer pitch dominated Red Square and Manchester United and Chelsea fans sang and danced in the streets before the match, many wearing souvenir traditional Russian hats.

After the final whistle, riot police calmly watched fans as they filed onto dozens of waiting buses or headed to the metro.

Matt from northern England strolled along a quiet pedestrian street in central Moscow after the match with his father and brother.

He wore a red Manchester United soccer shirt and had flown via Istanbul to see the final. Like most other fans, he praised the Russian organisation.

‘We've been to many matches in Europe before and normally after a match it is heaving. Here it's very quiet, organised.’

Many of the estimated 40,000 English soccer fans paid thousands of pounds to fly into Moscow for fewer than 24 hours to watch their teams battle for the Champion's League title at the Soviet-era Luzhniki stadium on the banks of the River Moskva.

It was the second major European soccer final staged in Moscow, after the UEFA final nine years ago between Parma of Italy and Olympique Marseille of France.