Ultras ambush Spurs fans in Rome

[icarus]

I find this really disturbing, even though it has happened several times in the past (perhaps that's what makes it disturbing). I'm so glad North American sports are free from this nonsense. For all the hoopla about English hooliganism, there has hardly been anything like this here for decades.

A Tottenham Hotspur supporter has been seriously injured and several hurt in clashes with rival fans in Rome.

The Spurs fan was stabbed at the Drunken Ship bar in the Campo de' Fiori district and is understood to have suffered a serious injury to an artery...

The owner of the bar, Mario Manzi, told the BBC: "At 1am there were around 30 English fans here, plus some American students, and some Italians.

"At some point, from around the corner, some 40 guys, all wearing helmets, faces covered with scarves, came here, destroyed that window, and came in.

"The English people hid behind here, and everything was destroyed. There were rocks, iron bars, everything."

He said: "The English fans were very calm, they weren't even drunk, then these men with heads covered came barging in throwing cobblestones. They had clubs and metal rods. It lasted about 20 minutes."

Mr Manzi added: "This was a planned thing. They had studied it. The English people had been here since the afternoon. They were circled, cornered, and weren't allowed to go out."

And here is an older story entitled Why is there buttock stabbing in Rome?

Living within sight of Stamford Bridge, I last year saw a number of these crazy Ultras last year when Napoli played Chelsea in the Champions League.

My barber told me how the police had described to him how the Ultras would land en masse at the London area airports and would march shoulder to shoulder, in step out of the airport, leaving behind on the floor paper sheaths of miniature knives they had smuggled in. Double the number of allotted away fans would flood the stadium using counterfeited tickets. There were a number of clashes in the streets around Fulham and Chelsea, which is rare since Chelsea fans are usually sedate (despite their reputation, which dates back to the wild days of the 70s.)

For some people, sports are just an excuse to cause pain and destruction. It's really sad.

[valo403]

Italian soccer fans are scum

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by valo403

Italian soccer fans are scum

UEFA needs to grow some balls and hit these teams with Europa and CL bans for a couple of year. This is so far beyond ridiculous at this point.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by rubecube

UEFA needs to grow some balls and hit these teams with Europa and CL bans for a couple of year. This is so far beyond ridiculous at this point.

But the fighting is at bars, it becomes a police issue. I believe UEFA protects the stadium quite well.

What can be done? If we all got together and beat up some Canuck fans at Melrose, should the Flames be banned from the playoffs?

[SuperMatt18]

I am an Italian Soccer fan and even I agree that all these "Ultras" are scum. I would have no issue if UEFA would ban Lazio/Rome/Napoli from UEFA competition.

In my opinion though these aren't even fans, they are gangs that use the sport as an excuse to cause trouble.

[d_phaneuf]

happened to some Liverpool fans a few years ago

there are still plenty of neo-nazi groups in Rome and in that part of Italy Spurs are just referred to as 'Jews' so it was a recipe for disaster

every time an English club goes to play in Italy outside of Turin/Milan it ends in something like this

[cam_wmh]

Tough situation for the club. They control their stadium and ensure safety for the visiting fans, but beyond their private property, they have little control into how these thugs act.

But, I want UEFA penalties anyway. Further, English clubs apply a stop-sell to visitor tickets when Italian clubs visit England. (may perpetuate the problem though).

[Ozy_Flame]

Kick the respective teams out from UEFA competition. Hell, kick them out of Serie A and B if necessary. And make it extremely vocal they're being kicked out because of these idiots.

Would be fun to see how quick Italians turn on these thugs and do something about it.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by icarus

For some people, sports are just an excuse to cause pain and destruction. It's really sad.

This is thing with hooliganism, football becomes an outlet for frustrated individuals and groups of individuals.

Originally Posted by GirlySports

But the fighting is at bars, it becomes a police issue. I believe UEFA protects the stadium quite well.

What can be done? If we all got together and beat up some Canuck fans at Melrose, should the Flames be banned from the playoffs?

Although hooliganism is a societal issue as I alluded to above, football clubs can find themselves in a powerful position. Clubs are like a family and the directors can start a shunning process, get Amish on their ass.

I'm not sure about the club structure in Italy but this shunning might be being avoided due to the presidents and directors needing the support of the Ultras in board elections and the like.

[bluejays]

I was just at that bar about a month and a half ago. It's a really really small place. Can probably fit 50 people in there at most. Some people from our tour had their stuff stolen when they placed it in a corner in the bar. I see how people just marched in. There are two alleyways on both sides of the bar, really narrow and a fairly large open square in front (no back exit). If others came from the sides, there'd be nowhere to run. Kinda scary to think this could have been us.

[InglewoodFan]

I've been at the train station in Bologna waiting to catch a train to my folks place when the Bologna fans are loading up on a train to an away match. Many many many cops had them well corralled. Still didn't feel terribly safe, was glad to get out of there. I just got this vibe from the crowd that they were just waiting to cut loose.

Contrast that to a first division match I went to in London, where they had the visiting side fans off in a separate area of the stadium. It was loud and boisterous but it never felt unsafe.

[d_phaneuf]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11675/8272050/

queue the standard 50k fine from UEFA which they somehow believe is going to end racism .....