Dozens of Roma fans sent home after clashes in Tirana
Dozens of Roma fans were sent home Wednesday after violent
clashes in Tirana on the eve of their Europa Conference League final with
Feyenoord, which left 19 police officers injured, police said.
The situation remained calm overnight after clashes late
Tuesday in which one officer was stabbed while 60 supporters of both sides, the
majority of whom were Italians, were arrested, a police official said.
The clashes erupted as police tried to stop a group of
Feyenoord fans heading towards an area where Roma supporters were located.
They attacked police with bottles, stones, sticks and other
objects, official Albert Dervishaj told reporters.
Supporters of the Italian club also attacked authorities
with sticks and stones, police said earlier while according to an AFP reporter
fans clashed in at least three locations in Tirana.
On Wednesday morning, 80 Roma fans were sent home from the
Adriatic port of Durres.
The injured officers and 10 people, including five
Albanians, three Italians and two Dutch, sought medical help.
The situation was calm on Wednesday morning in the Albanian
capital and police urged bars not to serve alcoholic drinks along with glass
bottles to prevent them being used in possible new clashes.
Schools and public administration services were closed while
traffic was banned in downtown Tirana.
Although the venue for Wednesday's final, at Tirana's
National Arena, has capacity for only 21,000 spectators, it is expected that
around 100,000 fans of both teams will come to the Albanian capital for the
game.
According to local authorities, fans will be divided into
separate fan zones and will be able to watch the final on giant TV screens.
Prior to the incidents, Albanian police said they have deployed 2,000 officers to ensure the match will be "transformed into a day of celebration".
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