Champions League: Fighting Already? Super.
By: Martha | April 10th, 2007
The Guardian just reported that there has already been some violence ahead of the Man U-Roma match this evening, apparently involving about 100 fans and Manchester City police. According to the brief article, a large group of Roma supporters had gathered outside Old Trafford when fighting broke out, but it’s unclear who initiated the problem, or if Man U fans were also involved. In the end, the conflict — which it’s at least suggested involved mostly Roma supporters — was quickly brought under control by mounted police and police with dogs.
Now, I’m not so naive as to think there aren’t scuffles between fans and police before many high profile games all over Europe, scuffles that generally go unreported in the wider press. But, given that both Roma fans and calcio itself are facing a lot of scrutiny right now, it really would be nice if we could avoiding taking this sort of thing abroad — as England fans can tell you, it’s hard to break a bad reputation, even after years of vastly improved behavior.
At the very least, one hopes no one will do anything blindingly stupid in the stadium — the last thing traveling Roma fans need is to conform to the dangerous reputation the British tabloids are trying to create for them (and, by extension, Italian football fans in general).
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Comments
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Now, that article mentions fans throwing “bottles and missiles”. I understand missiles means bottlerockets and such, but I do have a question for the Guardian. Where did Roma supporters get these “missiles”? They certainly didn’t get on the plane with them. That being the case, what shopkeeper would be selling them to Italians? Or could it be that Guardian failed to notice that there could be other folks involved here? Just some questions ahead my complete radio silence for the afternoon as I get ready to watch on dvr tonight..
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United States
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Muddia, I think missiles just means “things other than bottles” here-I’m picturing more rocks or rubbish or whatever’s at hand. If they’d chucked anything that goes boom, the report would have mentioned fireworks or explosive. British English v American English useage. (They use the word in the same way in this Guardian article about last week’s incidents.)
Posted from
United Kingdom -
3-0 in the 18th minute. I swear, I am NEVER going to buy a game from UEFA again and root for one team. First Lyon vs. Roma and now this. I really had hopes for Roma, too, especially since ManU decided not to play Patrice Evra. Grrr.
Posted from
United States -
I am switchig to the other game…. What a let down :( They need 2 goals without conceding another one, no chance of extra time…. they can now lose the game as long as margin is one goal. Win (fat chance), Draw (ummm still a fat chance), or lose by one(possible) and Roma are through or elae they are done and I will have to eat my words.
Posted from
United States
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