Brawls Erupt Amongst Football Fans in Gelsenkirchen
The Gelsenkirchen authorities considered the England vs Serbia match as a high-risk event ahead of time. As expected, trouble seemed to brew a few hours prior to the match. Initial reports suggested English fans might've been engaged in a fight, but that wasn't entirely accurate.
In Gelsenkirchen city center, skirmishes erupted before the EURO duel between England and Serbia. According to a police representative, tensions rose between two larger groups of people, causing a police intervention. Both Serbian and English supporters were involved in the fray, prompting the need for police intervention to separate them. The nature of the altercation is still unclear, with the situation currently "under control".
As of now, there's no information about any casualties or arrests made by the police. However, the British paper "Guardian" has reported that an English spectator and a German police officer suffered serious head injuries.
Videos, with chaotic scenes such as flying chairs and shattered glass bottles, are circulating on platform X. The police are currently assessing this material, as stated by a police spokesperson.
Contrary to initial beliefs, the violent incident occurred near a bar where Serbian football fans had gathered. Reports suggest no English fans were present, but it was Albanians causing the ruckus instead. An English spectator, speaking to the news agency Reuters, remarked, "I only saw it from my seat in this bar, but there were no English fans there at all. It was just tables, and we thought: 'Ah, here it goes again. The English.' But shockingly, there were no English present."
The nations of Albania and Serbia share a complex history, with Albania making it to the EURO and playing the previous day in neighboring Dortmund. Relations between Serbia and Albania are strained due to the debated status of Kosovo under international law.
The police, anticipating potential trouble, had mobilized significantly more forces than usual for the Schalke 04 vs Borussia Dortmund matches. The police chief estimated that roughly 20,000 English and about 10,000 Serbian supporters have tickets for the game, with an additional 15,000 English fans expected at the Public Viewing in Gelsenkirchen without tickets. Only beer with reduced alcohol content will be served during the match at the stadium.
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The Gelsenkirchen authorities identified the England vs Serbia match at the European Football Championship 2024 as a potential hotspot for conflicts. Despite anticipating trouble, the police intervention was necessary to dissolve skirmishes involving both English and Serbian supporters in the city center before the match. The altercation near a bar where Serbian fans had gathered resulted in injuries to an English spectator and a German police officer, contrary to initial assumptions that English fans were involved.
