United furious after Rome trouble
Italian police clash with Manchester United fans during their Champion's League quarterfinals first leg soccer match at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Wednesday. The clashes began shortly before halftime in the section of Stadio Olimpico where the 4,500 United fans were sitting. AP |
United and Roma fans were involved in fighting outside the Olympic Stadium before Wednesday's game and riot police used batons and tear gas to subdue the visiting supporters when fresh disturbances erupted during the quarterfinal first leg, which ended in a 2-1 victory for the Italian side.
Thirteen United fans were hospitalized, one with a stab wound to the neck, as a result of the violence before and during the match and UEFA, European football's governing body, have announced they will investigate.
United are furious with the police's behaviour at the stadium and they insist fans were attacked regardless of whether or not they had been involved in fighting.
The English club admit they are powerless to take action against the police, but they want supporters to submit statements to help a governement investigation into the trouble.
A statement on United's website said: "The distressing scenes witnessed in the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night shocked everyone at Old Trafford.
"In what the Club views as a severe over-reaction, local police handed out indiscriminate beatings to United supporters.
"In these circumstances, neither Manchester United nor AS Roma is able to call the police to account.
"As a result, the Club warmly welcomes the Government examination of the incident and will collect witness statements from fans to submit to the Home Office."
Under Italian law, the local police are responsible for safety within their major stadiums and the British Home Office said they will gather information from all relevant sources before deciding whether to approach UEFA about the incident.
Home Officer Minister Vernon Coaker told BBC Radio Five Live: "The scenes that we saw on our television screens were extremely concerning.
"And I would be interested to see the report that comes not only from Italian police but also from our own police officers who were out there, from the Embassy to listen to the fans themselves and indeed from the club to see what their view of things is and we need some explanation of what actually took place and the police response to it."
Rome's head of police, Achille Serra, insisted the police action was a "justified response", and said there would be no inquiry unless he were shown evidence of any alleged police brutality.
Italian Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete backed Serra's comments and said: "The English press speak of heavy handed police? We owe gratitude to our law enforcers and I don't believe those who try to make games safe can be crucified in this manner.
United supporter Carly Lyes, 23, claimed that police were heavy-handed with her as they snatched a camera to stop her filming an eye-witness account of the trouble.
"The police clearly did not want me to film what they were doing," said Lyes. "It was awful. Even when I was getting treatment for my injuries supporters were still getting hit on the concourse below.
UEFA inquiry
Meanwhile, UEFA has launched an inquiry into the violence.
"UEFA has opened an investigation into the incidents that occurred at the AS Roma Manchester United match," the governing body said in a statement yesterday.
"UEFA is currently gathering evidence and will be studying the official reports of the referee, delegate and security officer in detail before announcing any further action," it added.
A UEFA spokesman, who declined to be named, said that a decision on whether or not to go ahead with full disciplinary charges was likely to be taken after the Easter break, on Tuesday.
UEFA's new president, Michel Platini, has vowed "zero tolerance" for violence on and off the field, and recently wrote to top clubs and all federations in Europe to underline his stance.
One of Platini's senior advisors, William Gaillard, who is dealing with the security issue, underlined that the footballing authority still had to receive official accounts from its delegates at the match.
But Gaillard who was in Rome on Wednesday evening informally highlighted key issues such as the presence of ticketless United fans, fighting away from the stadium and in the stands, and fans throwing plastic bottles at police.
In the match itself, Roma took charge after the 34th-minute sending-off of Paul Scholes.
Goals by Rodrigo Taddei and Mirko Vucinic gave them the win, though Wayne Rooney's away goal could prove crucial in the return leg at Old Trafford next Tuesday.
"We've been particularly impressed by Roma this season. Their home record is fantastic. So we knew it was going to be tough, and it was," said Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.
AFP
(China Daily 04/06/2007 page24)
