Champions League final: Four Brits arrested in Madrid as Spurs fans complain of being ‘battered’ by police

Police officers stand near Sol square in Madrid the day before of the Champions League final
AP
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Four Brits have been arrested in Madrid ahead of tonight’s Champions League final as Spurs fans complained of being “battered” by police.

Footage posted on social media appears to show an officer hit one supporter on the back of the legs in a bar in Madrid city centre.

Fan Twitter account COYS NEWS claimed police had “battered" Spurs fans "for no reason”.

It came as Spanish police said four Brits were arrested for violence on Friday evening. No further details were made available.

Several thousand extra officers, including delegations from Merseyside and London, have been brought in to cope with the additional supporters in Madrid ahead of the final between Tottenham and Liverpool.

Liverpool fans in Madrid ahead of the Champions League final
REUTERS

So far the build-up to the game has been relatively peaceful amid warnings from police that they will take a "robust" approach to bad behaviour.

Officers also took measures to close down some outdoor drinking areas shortly after lunch on Friday afternoon in an effort to restrict noise around some of the residential areas.

It comes as tens of thousands of English football fans in Spain face the prospect of missing out on watching their team bid for European glory this evening, with fans blaming a shortage of supporter tickets and the decision to ban giant television screens from showing the match.

The number of supporters to have arrived in Madrid for the final vastly outnumbers the 16,000 tickets available to both sets of fans.

It means many will make their way to the Metropolitano Stadium ahead of the 8pm kick-off still searching for a ticket.

Those not able to catch the match from inside the stadium will be forced to find a pub showing the football, after authorities decided the two designated fan zones should close just before kick-off, while officials ruled nowhere in the city centre should be able to show the game on a big screen.

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, who had written to his counterpart in Madrid to request a giant screen broadcast the match, said "UEFA guidance" was behind the decision.

He added in a tweet on Saturday evening: "Told 14,000 bars and restaurants and cafes open with screens."

Champions League final: Spurs and Liverpool fans descend on Madrid

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