Seven arrests have been made following clashes ahead of England’s Euro 2024 opening game against Serbia.
The build-up to the Group C fixture in Gelsenkirchen was marred by reports of violence in the city ahead of the match.
Footage emerged that appeared to show a number of supporters involved in a mass brawl outside a restaurant. Chairs and other furniture were thrown before local police stepped in to defuse tensions.
Local police indicated that the incident involved fans from both England and Serbia and later confirmed that seven people — all Serbian citizens — were subsequently taken into custody while a criminal complaint has been filed for grievous bodily harm.
They also confirmed — contrary to some social media reports — that no Albanian citizens have been connected to the incident.
UK authorities, who are in Germany assisting local officers, pledged to ban any UK nationals found to be involved.
A statement from the UK Football Policing Unit said: “We are aware of an issue in Gelsenkirchen ahead of the England v Serbia match. Our German colleagues have made a number of arrests of what we currently believe to be Serbian supporters.
“At this stage we do not believe that any UK nationals have been arrested but enquiries are ongoing. Our officers are at the location speaking to German colleagues.
“Our investigation team is now reviewing footage of the incident and if any UK nationals have been involved, football banning orders will be sought.”
Germany has stepped up its security efforts for the tournament, with 2.7 million fans set to attend games across 10 stadiums, together with a further 12 million in fan zones.
Earlier on Sunday a man was shot after threatening police with a hammer in an incident close to a Euro 2024 fan park in St Pauli, Hamburg.
(Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images)
