'Putin will use World Cup like Hitler'

It was Labour MP, Ian Austin, who made the initial remark about the Berlin Olympics, and called for England to boycott the tournament, but Johnson backed him up. 

"Yes - I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right," he said. 

"I think Vladimir Putin feels that Russia lost out, so he wants to cause trouble wherever he can," Mr Johnson continued, while stating that Britain does not want another Cold War. 

"His principle audience for this is not us, it's his domestic audience who want, after what they see as all these humiliations, who want to feel that Russia is strong again."

He concluded by adding that it would be 'incredibly unfair' on the England team to make them boycott the tournament.