5 injured in Netherlands-England fan disorder
Written by I Dig SportsFive people have been injured in clashes between England and Netherlands fans in Dortmund ahead of Wednesday's Euro 2024 semifinal, the UK Football Policing Unit have said.
One video on social media allegedly shows Dutch fans attacking England supporters and throwing stools outside a bar in the German city several hours before kick-off.
A spokesperson for the UK Football Policing Unit said in a statement: "We are aware of some reports and videos circulating of disorder in Dortmund. It appears that there have been several instances of Dutch fans attacking England fans in bars and attempting to steal flags.
"We understand this has resulted in minor injuries to five people. We are also aware that in addition to the tens of thousands of Dutch fans there to enjoy the game, there are groups of risk supporters who have travelled to Dortmund from the Netherlands.
"Our officers are at the location supporting German colleagues. We would advise supporters to be aware of their surroundings and seek areas where there is a German Police presence."
Local police in Dortmund said there had been confrontations between English and Dutch fans in three places and that police intervened to prevent "further escalations." Police said that operations were ongoing and that they were not yet able to provide information on how many people were injured, or how many were detained.
It has been estimated that more than 100,000 Netherlands fans are in Dortmund for the game at Signal Iduna Park, which has a capacity of 60,440.
England are attempting to reach their first major tournament final away from Wembley while Netherlands' only trophy came at Euro '88.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.