|
Up to 80 Anderlecht supporters were taken into custody prior to the Europa League game at Mainz after allegedly trying to attack the German club's fans in the city centre. The Europa League fixture had been deemed "high risk" by local authorities in the Rhineland-Palatinate capital, with local police spokesperson Achim Hansen telling Allgemeine Zeitung: "We had intelligence that hooligans would come to Mainz to riot." Those among the 2,000 Anderlecht who arrived early were shuttled into the city centre on local transport and monitored by police. The newspaper reported that, at around 5.15 p.m. local time, a group of hooligans were seen running down the street, apparently trying to attack Mainz supporters. "They were prepared, masked, were wearing special weighted knuckle gloves and suddenly were moving at a quick pace," Hansen said, adding that the group were taken into custody and would be released after the match to return to Belgium. While Allgemeine Zeitung said some 80 people were taken into custody, German news agency SID reported that 60 people missed the match and were forced to spend the evening in a prison cell. Five police officers were injured during the attempted riots in the city and suffered with acoustic shock as a result of fans' use of bangers. In another incident at Mainz central station, a policewoman suffered a head injury and was taken into hospital as a precautionary measure, Allgemeine Zeitung said.
|
