Eleven Germans Apprehended in Champions League Altercations in Naples
Italian law enforcement confirmed the apprehension of 11 German football enthusiasts in Naples following instances of violent confrontations on the night prior to the Wednesday Champions League match involving Napoli and Union Berlin.
The statement from the police disclosed that approximately 300 German ultras, who concealed their identities with red bandanas, engaged in a tumultuous episode within the historic district of the southern Italian city on Tuesday evening.
They inflicted damage on parked vehicles and public street fixtures, ransacked a nearby store, and assailed law enforcement officers with cobblestones, clubs, metal and wooden rods, and firecrackers.
Ten individuals were taken into custody during the altercations, and they were associated with "the most radical ultras faction among the visiting team's supporters, along with supporters of Borussia Moenchengladbach," a historical rival of Napoli and twinned with Union Berlin, as indicated by the police.
An additional German fan, an 11th individual, was arrested in a distinct incident in Naples and was accused of engaging in violence directed at a public official.
The match scheduled for Wednesday commences at 6:45 PM (1745 GMT) at the Maradona Stadium in Naples.
Naples had also witnessed significant disturbances prior to and following last season's Champions League round-of-16 encounter with Eintracht Frankfurt. Despite a ticketing controversy that resulted in the German club not utilizing their away allocation, the hardcore fans of Eintracht Frankfurt journeyed to Italy for the event.
A total of eight supporters were detained following confrontations in the vicinity of Naples. In the midst of these clashes, six police officers sustained injuries as they were targeted with smoke bombs, flares, chairs, bottles, and metal poles. Concurrently, Napoli fans launched fireworks at the visiting hundreds of Eintracht supporters.
In a separate instance, violence marred the Champions League match held at AC Milan this week, with an incident of a Paris Saint-Germain fan being stabbed on the eve of Tuesday's game, which the home team secured with a 2-1 victory. Another PSG supporter was subsequently handed a two-year stadium ban by local authorities due to the discovery of a 22cm box cutter during their attempt to enter the San Siro stadium for the match.
Leave A Comment