Manchester United

Bloodied: United fan [Getty Images]

Violence in Rome: reaction

It was a scene reminiscent of the dark days of football violence and hooliganism: rival groups of supporters throwing coins and bottles at each other with baton-wielding riot police leaving fans bloodied and battered.

At the Stadio Olimpico in Rome (Wed 04 April 2007), supporters close to a dividing perspex barrier clashed with Italian police during United's 2-1 defeat to AS Roma in the first leg quarter-final tie.

Embassy staff in Rome have confirmed that three United supporters were stabbed in clashes with Roma fans outside the ground with eight others injured.

United fans returning from Rome are accusing Italian police of brutal and excessive violence and Roma's notorious Ultras of provoking the situation with intimidating behaviour.

We want to hear from you. Were you there? Did you watch it on TV? Use the messageboard or form below to have your say:

Your comments

Ryan Tennant in Rome, Italy

I live in Rome and often go to see Rome play. This is the sort of thing that happens in the grounds every week but is not reported. If what happened in the grounds here happened in the UK, we would be thrown out of Europe. Every week at home games, the Roma fans in the Curva Nord will throw bottles, flares and fireworks at the away supporters. The stewards never stop them and the police are always in the away supporters and frequently attack the away supporters with batons. They have no idea on crowd control. They wear no identification numbers and people just expect this to happen. The section we were in of official United travel supporters was separated by a 1 metre high plastic screen. The stewards watched as we were abused all the game, especially when Roma scored. One of the stewards joined in! United will get the blame, but this is normal police action here that is always just ignored, until the international cameras are there, then they blame everybody else.

Craig Allcock in Alsager, Cheshire

I went to the game last night, and was disgusted by the treatment from the Italian police. The police treated 'carting' the United fans around like a military operation. If Italian football fans are that 'dangerous' then they should not be allowed to participate in European competitions and let just them fight amongst themselves in Italy. Football is meant to be a 'fun' and entertaining sport. This is NOT the case when you visit Italy.

Craig Bryant in Stockport

I got back from the game in the early hours this morning, it was the same as normal, our fans started the trouble by rushing the barriers when Roma scored. Its the same with every European away match, our "fans" bring it upon themselves, it was the same in France, we have a large group who are intent on causing trouble.

Andy Rayner, 30 in Cheshire

I think the whole world seems blinkered!!! blame the fans u say, blame the police, blame all in the ground etc....lets get one thing straight - last nights debacle off the field only happens in one place still in europe consistently every week - no prizes for guessing where! ban italian football until these racists (fans + police alike) learn how to behave like civil human beings. And to all the people slating united fans for reacting i say this - what are u gonna do when u go to watch ur team play football and ur abused like this? are u gonna sit in ur seat and do nothin? do u sit idly by while ur pelted with missiles and indiscriminately beaten? would u sit there and do nothin if ur wife and child were being beaten by cops when it was roma fans throwin missiles 1st and nothin was done??!?!?!? boro went there and it happened to them, liverpool went there and they got the same, and now united fans. If that had happened over here we'd be thrown out of europe quicker than u could say racist italian thugs!!! The world and especially UEFA needs to learn a lesson here once and for all!!! stop letting the italians get away with it and ban them for good!

Malc Broome 49 in Cheadle

Rome, Milan, Greece and Turkey you know what to expect from rival fans and the local police. If we get Milan in semis it will be more of the same and if we get to Athens it will be 10 times worse. Probably 100 times worse if it's a United v Liverpool final. A potential "Greek Tragedy" in the making.

Anon

Agreed it does look like the police were heavy handed, but if the Man U fans hadn't reacted to being 'taunted' then this would never have happened.  It's all well and good saying that the fans reacted to the Roma fans, but in reality, the Man U fans charged at the line of security police - what reaction did they expect. If the police hadn't been so heavy handed, where would it have stopped?  Another night of English shame as rampaging fans rip up another foreign stadium? Why is there always this blame culture?  If the Man U fans hadn't reacted, this situation would never have occurred. 

Martin, 32 in Edinburgh

The charge of the Man Utd fans was wrong and would have provoked 'a' reaction. Too strong? Definitely. Do you give people a run up to the fans, no you have them near the fans to stop that stuff, not stand on the other side of a perspex barrier as if you are guarding people who are abusing you. You don't see it any where in UK and Stamford Bridge looked quiet as a mouse minutes after that game was finished.

Adam in Manchester

The riot police should have used live ammunition, violence in any sport should not be tolerated.

Mo, 39 in Southampton

I would like to see both clubs punished for this behaviour with a European ban, I cant speak for Roma but you wouldnt get these United troublemakers disgracing the country again if they had no European match to go to. Let's open Europe to the rest of the premiership and stop the monopoly United have on the Champions League if they cant behave. Everton Bolton and the likes would relish the chance to get in the competition and be ambassadors for England

Gianluca, 33 in Rome

Please remember that English teams were kicked out from European competition because they caused troubles all over the Europe (it seems that nobody of you remember the Heysel stadium and the Italians killed by your quite and good fans).
Some of you said that this things happens only in Italy..what about the riots caused by the English fans in France, Turkey, Germany, Holland and so on in the last years?
You are always ready to create troubles in the other countries and especially to defend your fans when they are treated as they deserve to be treated. Moreover, please be honest and do not say that in England there is not hooliganism any longer, this is absolutely not true (and you know it!!!), riots happen in the other minor leagues and lately also in Premier league (nobody of you have heard soemthing about the clashes in Chelsea few week a go????). No one deserves to be battered for watching a football match and no one deserves to be stabbed for trying to attend a football match...until he act in good and civil way. 

Ste 19 in Manchester

all of the above people have not got a clue, they are just people who sit at home reading the dictionary. unless you was there then how do you know??? i say the police were out of hand, because if that was an english police man doing that it would be a diffrent story.

John McGeown, 40 in Manchester

United fans clearly aggravated the situation when they taunted the Roma fans after united had equalised. The next leg should be played in an empty stadium as punishment to both clubs and to stop further violence

Matthew O'Dealy, 23 in Rochdale

I don't think so!! I was there and me and my son was frightened, i was on the opposite side of the police, and i still managed to get hit by a baton, this was ridiculous!! Yes it was the fans, both sets of fans, but it was the police who caused the fatal injuries, ask your self a question and think why the police was in the united side, why not both?? for most of the game, i didn't really get chance to watch any of the game because i was too busy looking over my shoulder!! My son was crying and it was the worst trip i have ever been on, and i now wondering to go away again. Italians are just pathetic in every single way, they are known as being thugs when it comes to the british.

Andy, 25 in Manchester

Whoever started it, you would never see that in an English stadium. Its so ironic that we are given this image of being hooligans and having no control over our fans yet you go to an english ground and its generally a family orientated and friendly experience - european game or otherwise. The italians have a lot to learn from us about how to manage crowds, create better Stadia and less hostile environments.

Boab, 23 in Glasgow

Its about time Italian clubs were banned completely from European competetion, its always the same with these Ultras, not that the Police make matters better by their heavy handed tactics!!

Andy McGrath, 37 in Liverpool

As a Liverpool supporter who witnessed similar behaviour by the Roma fans and their baton-wielding friends in 1984, I was sickened to see the events last night. IT WASNT the Utd fans fault, they were goaded into reacting by the Italian fans and the riot police finished the job.

Bazzer in Stockport

Why do Italian clubs keep getting away with this sort of behaviour. English clubs were kicked out of Europe for years yet the Italians who once again started the trouble seem to be continually let off. It's an absolute disgrace and last night's episode must have been paticularly terrifying and distressing for any children who were close to the trouble. I heard that the Utd fans had coins etc. taken off them at the turnstiles and yet the Roma fans seemed to have plenty to throw at Utd fans. Also, the stewards were selling drink bottles to the Roma fans inside the ground and these were then used as missiles. Kick Italian teams out of Europe until they can get themselves sorted out. How many more visiting fans are to be abused and stabbed before UEFA show some guts?

Barry, 35 in Newcastle

I sympathise with the Man Utd fans. I travel abroad with Newcastle in Europe. We had problems in with the Police and Roma fans when we played there a few years ago. We had problem in Milan three years back. This season we had the intimidation and violence in Palermo. The problem is an Italian one. Their police are so weak they allow situations to develop. Look at their domestic league this season, look at the incidents at the San Siro last year. The only place yet get trouble as a travelling fan from opposing fans is Italy. In the last few years I've watched football in Israel, Norway, Greece, France , Germany, Latvia, Estonia, Holland, Belguim, Spain, Potugal and Slovakia and never had a problem. However in Italy it exists.

Craig, 29 in Manchester

Obviously some of the supporters caught up in this were innocent, but it WAS the charge that pre-empted the police action. End of story.

Andrea, 33 in Rome

Is just sad to see this. I did not like the act of the police but the Manu fan were not behaving like they should. is pity cause is just some idiot acting like this. Im in touch with english fans everyday and they are usually friendly and correct.

Farkary Twarx in Manchester

Sounds to me like these hooligans got exactly what they deserve! It's a shame our police don't treat these louts in a similar fashion.

Gianluca, 33 in Rome

Why do you not report about the riot caused by United fans outside the stadium, upon the bridge, were several fans, from both side, were injured? It is not very professional to make a one-side analysis of what happened. It seems like nobody of the several english journalists watched what happened when 300 drunken fans of United attacked the Rome's fans upon the bridge outside the stadium: the Roma fans have reacted and some of the Engish were injuried with knifes. Our anti-riot police is quite strong, it is true, but they use the force when needed, it could seem excessive for "your standard" but the police stopped united fans from causing more troubles, charging the perspex barrier and the throwing missiles towards rome's fans. Maybe in England you are much more able than us to avoid this troubles (I think just because your fans act as good guys in England and as animals outside) but your fans got what they deserve.

Jon, 36

Oh dear, all the silly wind up merchants are on. No one deserves to be battered for watching a football match. No one deserves to be stabbed for trying to attend a football match. Why is it that this thing always happens in Italy (Boro, Liverpool and now United)and not in England, Germany or Scandinavia. Italian supporters and policing tactics are stuck in the dark ages.

Louise, 28 in Manchester

It's really sad to see people saying all football supporters are thugs. It was plain to see that a fan, camera round his neck, being repeatedly stuck by the Carrabinarian thugs. He wasn't a thug, just an ordinary guy. Behaviour of idiots? Doreen you should hang your head in shame this Easter. Maybe you should go to church and offer a prayer to the fan who has been repeatedly stabbed in his neck.

Anon

The riot was started by united fans charging the perspex barrier. Your analysis is one-sided as usual.

Doug in Bury

Dont go blaming the police for this no nonsence approach blame the uk fans that have built the reputation for needing it in recent times.

Doreen

Why is it always someone elses fault, it WAS the supporters fault, end of story, stop defending thugs for gods sake. You seem blinkered to the behaviour of these idiots.