Police have revealed that 46 away fans were arrested following Aston Villa’s 2-1 win against Legia Warsaw on Thursday.
Last night, Polish football hooligans wreaked chaos by setting a police officer on fire and injuring three others with flares before facing the Midlands club in the Europa League.
One cop sustained burns after being engulfed by flames after being hit by a flare and has been recovering in the hospital since.
West Midlands police issued an update on the arrests on Friday morning, noting that all of the suspects detained are away fans, and four of them were carrying blades.
“We’ve now got 46 people in custody following last night’s violence involving away fans outside Villa Park,’ police confirmed.
“Officers faced 90 minutes of sustained violence, and four were injured. We’re proud of our officers, and we thank Aston Villa fans for their support.
“Of the suspects, 41 were arrested for violent disorder, four for possession of a knife or offensive weapon, and four for assaulting emergency workers.
“All of those arrested are away fans, and we’ll be working hard to charge and remand those suspects where we can today.’
UEFA also released a statement on Friday, which read, “UEFA strongly condemns the unacceptable violence that occurred around the Aston Villa vs. Legia Warsaw match.
“UEFA is in the process of gathering all official reports from the game before deciding on potential next steps.”
Away fans were refused entry into the stadium as a result of the violence, with some managing to launch containers of beer into the home end from outside.
When Legia scored, a tiny group was able to break in and could be heard cheering from behind a wall.
The fans forced their way in after West Midlands Police announced on social media that no Legia fans would be allowed inside the stadium.
Commenting on the incident, the police tweeted, “We’re currently unable to allow away fans into Villa Park following disorder outside the stadium, which has seen missiles thrown at officers.
“Three officers have already been injured, and a significant policing operation continues. Please avoid Witton Lane where possible.”
Chief Inspector Tim Robinson, the match commander, added, “This should have been a great evening of football, which was enjoyed by fans from both clubs.
“Unfortunately, there were appalling scenes in which fans dangerously threw flares and other missiles at our officers.
“We were there to help keep people safe, yet officers own safety was put at risk because of the deplorable actions of others.
“Due to the extreme violence, there was no other choice but to prevent away fans from entering the stadium. The safety of everyone is our priority, and clearly we had no other option.
“There can never be a place for such appalling behavior, and this is something we and the wider community should never have to experience.”
According to sources, Legia were dissatisfied with their reduced allotment after Villa reduced their ticket allocation to only 890 based on police and Safety Advisory Group suggestions.
UEFA regulations give the visiting team 5% of the stadium capacity, which equates to 2,100 tickets at Villa Park.
Legia accused Villa of refusing to allot tickets to away fans in compliance with UEFA regulations for a UEFA Europa League match in an official statement.
“Instead of diffusing potential pre-match tensions, restrictive measures by Aston Villa F.C. as the host club needlessly exacerbate the atmosphere. In our view, such measures are counterproductive and unfounded,’ they wrote.
“In a recent development, Aston Villa FC has firmly declined to adhere to UEFA competition regulations by refusing to allocate the stipulated pool of tickets for visiting supporters.
“Legia Warsaw had put forward a compromise solution, proposing an allocation of 1,700 tickets for their loyal supporters—a figure mirroring the number allocated to English club fans journeying to Warsaw. This proposal was officially accepted and duly documented in the UEFA delegate’s report, dated September 21.”
