Violence erupts in Leipzig ahead of Europa Conference League final, with Crystal Palace fans involved ahead of game against Rayo Vallecano
Shocking scenes of chair and drink throwing occurred in the German city of Leipzig on Tuesday night ahead of Wednesday’s Europa Conference League final.
A sudden clash broke out between dozens of Crystal Palace supporters and black-shirted soccer fans, but it was quickly quelled by riot police. It is unclear whether the latter group were fans of Palace’s opponents, Rayo Vallecano, or of the local team.
As nearby families appeared to continue their birthday meals, the troublemakers were seen bracing themselves for a coordinated assault on their rivals, before retreating and instead firing cafe furniture as a projectile, which flew over the heads of police officers.
Video footage shared on social media showed fans brawling in an Irish pub hours before the match between Crystal Palace and Rayo, which drew thousands of British and Spanish supporters to the city.
Trouble erupts in Leipzig on the eve of the UEFA Conference League final (Image: x)
A group of men were filmed throwing pint glasses and bottles at each other outside the bar, while another group grabbed a wooden chair and threw it across the square.
According to the Daily Mail, German police sealed off an area near Leipzig’s main market square following the riot.
There are no confirmed injuries or arrests, but dozens of fans are believed to have been detained by police for several hours on charges of “breaching the peace” in connection with the incident.
Fans collide on the road (Image: x)
This effectively resulted in a ban on access to the city center until 10am on Wednesday, and all those detained were subject to identification.
Palace and Rayo have each been allocated around 11,500 tickets by UEFA for the final, but thousands more supporters are expected to turn up to watch the match in pubs and bars across the city.
Riot police were forced to intervene (Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
Riot police intervene (Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
Both teams are chasing Europe’s first major honour, with the winner securing a spot in next season’s Europa League.
Palace finished 15th in the Premier League but will be aiming for a third trophy in a year under manager Oliver Glasner before the German leaves Selhurst Park.
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