Fan wounded ahead of football match

12 April 2012

An Arsenal fan has suffered a suspected stab wound in a clash with hooligans before a football match in Italy.

The British Embassy in Rome said the victim was travelling on a minibus when it lost its way near the Olympic Stadium and was ambushed by rival fans.

An embassy spokesman said the injured man managed to make his way into the stadium where he was treated for a bleeding leg.

The incident happened shortly before Wednesday's dramatic Champions League game which saw Arsenal squeeze into the quarter-finals after a sudden-death penalty shoot-out win.

The embassy spokesman said: "This bus got a bit lost around the stadium and some Roma fans tried to get on the bus. One managed to get on to the bus and there was a fight. The driver managed to get away when the Roma fan was pushed out of the bus."

The victim was able to watch the match after receiving medical care, the spokesman said.

He added: "We don't know if it was a stabbing or glass from a smashed window."

An Arsenal spokeswoman said: "A male Arsenal fan was believed to be stabbed outside the stadium. Roma fans threw stones at a bus, smashing windows, and an individual allegedly entered the bus and stabbed a fan."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the incident that happened in Italy and we are providing consular assistance."

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