German police said in a statement that they had to stop several fights in key areas of the city.
Eintracht fans gather in the stadium. (courtesy: Reuters)
highlighted
- Farnkfurt lead 2-1 on aggregate
- West Ham have to play attacking football
- Frankfurt are ready to win the match
Fans of West Ham United and Eintracht Frankfurt have been furious for the third time this week with 30 arrests made in Germany just ahead of a Europa League semi-final second leg match.
Frankfurt Police issued a statement saying they had to intervene “in several places” the previous night because of a fight between rival fans. Police further said that supporters of both the clubs were looking for a fight at several places and were forced to stop a major brawl around the main railway station.
According to the police department’s official numbers, 1,000 supporters who came “including at-risk fans” were registered before the game.
Referring to the attack by Frankfurt fans, the statement said, “Rival fan groups were on the lookout for violent clashes, which were immediately stopped by police intervention, especially in the police station area. Despite this, there were physical attacks elsewhere.” Two guest supporters unconscious. Both men had to be hospitalized with injuries.
Other controversies included an attack on West Ham supporters by a large group of Frankfurt fans where a baseball bat was used.
Frankfurt is hosting West Ham for the second leg of their Europa League semi-finals on Thursday, where they lead a narrow 2-1 margin. Frankfurt have enjoyed a rich vein of form in Europe and have been praised for their counter-attacking football.