Aston Villa’s Europa Conference League match against Poland’s Legia Warsaw saw 39 people arrested in Birmingham on Thursday night as violence broke out in the build-up to the game. West Midlands Police reported that flares were thrown at officers during the “disgusting and highly dangerous scenes,” leaving four police officers injured. Due to safety concerns, away fans were barred from entering the stadium, which allowed officers with shields and batons to take control of the volatile situation.
Tensions had increased over the restricted number of away fans heading to Villa Park for the match, with only 1,000 tickets made available after advice from local emergency services. A previous history of match-day disorder was the reason given for the allocation cut. Legia Warsaw accused Aston Villa of restricting their travelling fans, despite assurances to the contrary, in a statement posted on their website.
Aston Villa won the match 2-1 thanks to a 58th-minute goal from Alex Moreno. However, due to the violence, West Midlands mayor Andy Street has demanded quick and robust action from UEFA, the governing body of European football. This issue resonates with the recent disorder in a match between Dutch police officers and AZ Alkmaar in which the police were also injured.
West Midlands Police Chief Inspector Tim Robinson expressed disappointment that what should have been an excellent evening of football was ruined by appalling and violent scenes, adding that the officers had to stop away fans from entering the stadium due to the destructive and disruptive scenes
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