It came to supporter violence in Napoli on Wednesday in the run-up to the return between Napoli and Eintracht Frankfurt in the eighth finals of the Champions League. German fans are officially not welcome to attend the match because of earlier fan violence in Germany about a month ago. Napoli won the first leg 0-2.
Vincent Van Genechten
Videos posted on social media show police officers in the city center being attacked by Frankfurt ammo makers using tables and chairs. At least one police car was also set on fire.
Frankfurt, which had initially successfully appealed against a first ban, nevertheless waived the tickets it was entitled to and urged fans not to travel to Italy. Nevertheless, hundreds traveled to Napoli, where they initially marched through the city on Wednesday without any problems.
© EPA-EFE
© EPA-EFE
The first supporters arrived on Tuesday evening. They would have been joined by ultras from Atalanta, Napoli’s rival. Each supporter was eventually registered by the police. The buses that took them to their hotel had to deal with pyrotechnic material that came from the Napoli ultras. A large police force gathered in front of the hotel.
Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo called on his own fans in a video message to refrain from violence and not to respond to provocations. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has meanwhile indicated that clubs will not be allowed to play European matches in their own stadium in the future if visiting fans are not allowed.
Striking: the Frankfurt supporters received help from a fan of Atalanta. The club from Bergamo has a bitter rivalry with Napoli and so part of the supporters decided to help the Germans buy tickets, guide them through the city and kick some ass.
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