Seville (AP) – Dozens of fans of Eintracht Frankfurt and Glasgow Rangers attacked each other shortly before the Europa League final in Seville, southern Spain.
Around 6:00 p.m., they threw chairs from street cafes, bottles and other objects at each other in the city center, the local newspaper “Diario de Sevilla” reported. A video showed how fights broke out and people who were lying on the ground were kicked. Initially, nothing was known about arrests. The opposing groups retreated when the police arrived.
Five Eintracht fans were arrested earlier in the day. According to the police, they were part of a group of 200 German supporters who are said to have attacked Scottish fans near the cathedral in the city center during the night. Upon request, the police confirmed reports from the Spanish media. The German fans are said to have thrown flares, tables and bottles at the officials. They are therefore accused of disturbing public order and aggression.
The police chief responsible, Juan Carlos Castro, had warned of “serious problems” shortly before these first riots. Around 150,000 fans were expected to attend the final in Seville, 100,000 from Scotland and 50,000 from Germany. “This is outrageous,” said Castro. “That’s too many people with too much alcohol, most of them without a ticket to the game. And there are a lot of construction sites in the city. All of this can lead to serious problems.” 5,500 security forces were deployed for the finale. Castro spoke of the “most difficult game in recent years” in the Andalusian metropolis.
Each club received a contingent of 10,000 tickets for the final. The Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán only offers space for about 44,000 spectators. Most of the fans who traveled from Germany and Scotland therefore followed the final in front of large screens in fan zones and in the Cartuja Stadium or in pubs.