Two West Ham fans were hospitalised and more than 30 arrests made on Wednesday as violence continued to mar the build-up to tonight’s Europa League semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Police in the German city said the pair of West Ham fans had been taken to hospital after being left unconscious having been set upon in the city’s Schulstrasse area at around 6.40pm local time.
In a separate incident later on, a larger group of home supporters wielding baseball bats attacked visiting fans watching the Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and Manchester City at a pub. The venue on Taubenstrasse sustained significant damage, while a member of staff was left with minor injuries.
Police also intervened to stop a clash between sets of fans on Gutleutstrasse at around 11:30pm, arresting “15 violent supporters of the home team”, while a major street near the city’s main train station was closed to traffic until the early hours amidst the unrest.
Police had promised a ramped up security presence around the fixture, with “officers on every corner” but there will be huge concern over the possibility of further clashes both before and after tonight’s game.
There had long been the potential for trouble after a group of Frankfurt fans attacked West Ham supporters in a pub in Seville back in March, when the two teams played last-16 ties in the Spanish city on consecutive nights.
A number of incidents were reported earlier this week, including an attack on West Ham fans in the early hours of Wednesday morning that left a 34-year-old British man hospitalised with minor injuries.
West Ham trail 2-1 in the tie following Frankfurt’s first-leg victory at the London Stadium last week.
