Season 11/12 - June

Poland: One hooligan main face arrested - 06/06/2012

Source : http://www.rp.pl

Damian N, 30 years old, main face of GKS Katowice hooligans, was arrested at home because authorities think he planned an attack against Ruch Chorzow supporters, in April, where 3 people were wounded.
He was released after he paid. He could receive 3 years in jail sentence.

Translation Underground Fans

Euro: Germany - Portugal - 09/06/2012

Source : http://www.derwesten.de

Some troubles erupted in Castrop-Rauxel in Rhenania, where some 2700 fans mobbed up to watch the game.
Everything started when a fan threw a flare. Tension was high between supporters and policemen.
Two policemen were wounded.

Translation Underground Fans (c)

AS Varese - Sampdoria - 09/06/2012

Source : http://www.ilsecoloxix.it

About thirty Sampdoria tifosi who celebrated their win against Varese, were asaulted by a mob of 25 Genoa supporters, armed with knives, bottles and other weapons.
Police said 5 people were hospitalized, including 2 Samp fans, one so seriously.
Seven tifosi were arrested.

Translation Underground Fans (c)

Switzerland: Allschwil - Neuchâtel Xamax M21 - 09/06/2012

Source : http://www.arcinfo.ch

Basel supporters fronted Neuchâtel rivals at the end of the game so policemen arrived in large number.
27 people were arrested.

Argentina: Instituto - Quilmes - 09/06/2012

Source : http://www.sofoot.com

Quilmes barra bravas provoked troubles: a fight opposed 2 rival mobs of this team. The brother of one of the main faces was shooted during his trip to Cordoba.

Translation Underground Fans (c)

Euro: Ukraine - Sweden - 11/06/2012

Source : http://news.zn.ua

13 Ukrainians were arrested by police in the fans' area as they tried to confront Russians.

Translation Underground Fan (c)



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Source : Mail



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Swedish in Kiev

Greece: Police swoop on PAOK fans, make 33 arrests - 14/06/2012

Source : http://tensport.com.au

Police in the northern city of Salonica have arrested 33 PAOK supporters and are seeking another 57 for recent criminal activity, Salonica chief of police Athinagoras Pazarlis announced Wednesday.

"The investigation began in November 2011 and the operation involved 190 police officers. Thirty three people have been arrested and 57 others are being sought," Pazarlis told a press conference.

He said the criminal gang included two members of the Super League's security staff and six senior members of organized supporters clubs of PAOK.

Pazarlis said that the criminal charges included attempted murder, dangerous bodily harm, drug trafficking, damage to property and theft.

He said many of the gang members were identified through videos taken during attacks against police and supporters from other teams.

Pazarlis said that among the items found and confiscated during raids at seven clubs of organized PAOK fans on Tuesday were two pistols, a shotgun, three surgical blades, a cleaver, 40 cell phones, nine knives, a police radio, two axes, four baseball bats, a gas mask, 11 helmets, cash of 3,300 euros and U.S. 10,000 dollars as well as 348.48 grams of cannabis.

PAOK have refused to comment on the arrests.

Euro: Warsaw mayor issues apology for 'scandalous' hooliganism surrounding Poland match with Russia - 14/06/2012

Source : http://www.independent.co.uk

Official says sorry to her country's guests after violent clashes between Polish and Russian fans

Warsaw's mayor apologised yesterday to visitors for the football hooligan violence that left dozens injured and caused others to feel unsafe, a day after Poland and Russia fans clashed with each other and police when their teams met in a tense European Championship game.

For the most part, however, Polish officials tried to put a positive spin on Tuesday's disturbances, saying a strong and effective police response prevented worse bloodshed. One official called it the biggest police security operation in Warsaw. Riot police fired rubber bullets and used water cannon and tear gas, while officers detained 184 people – most of them Poles.

The Interior Ministry issued a statement saying police "did not allow aggression to escalate on the part of the hooligans" and caught "the most aggressive fans". It also stressed that most Polish and Russian fans enjoyed themselves in a spirit of "festivity."

Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz apologised to "our guests", calling the violence a "scandalous" disturbance of public order: "I apologise and I deplore the fact that hooligans have exposed our guests to a loss of a sense of security."

Authorities gave varying figures on the number of injured. Police said 19 civilians and 17 officers were injured; ambulance officials gave an overall figure of 24 earlier in the day; and Warsaw province governor, Jacek Kozlowski, said up to 140 people required some type of medical treatment.

The trouble started when about 5,000 Russians marched through central Warsaw waving national flags and chanting "Russia, Russia" while making their way to the National Stadium for Tuesday's game. It was seen as provocative to many Poles. The two countries share a difficult history, including decades of control by Moscow over Poland during the Cold War. Many Poles felt the authorities should not have allowed the Russians to march in Warsaw given the historical wounds.

The Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, said that, all in all, the trouble was "limited in scale" compared to what it might have been given the heated national emotions and the numbers of fans. About 45,000 people watched the game at the stadium and around 75,000 others on huge TV screens in a downtown fan zone. The fights were scattered across downtown Warsaw. None were at the National Stadium or in the downtown fan zone.

The game ended in a 1-1 draw and that may have helped defuse tensions from escalating into further violence since neither side could claim victory over the other. The final score also prompted comments of relief from Poland supporters and newspaper headlines yesterday that stressed Poland still has a chance to advance to the quarter-finals if they defeat the Czech Republic on Saturday.

Police said they would review their security procedures. The clashes were embarrassing and painful to many Poles, who resent that a small number of thugs cast a bad light on the country. Poland has been looking to Euro 2012 to highlight how much it has modernised and developed since throwing off communism in 1989.

"I would say that it shouldn't have happened, it should have been prevented and I would say that it shouldn't happen in the future because it is very bad for the image of Poland," Kamila Szczepanska, a 31-year-old Warsaw resident said.

"People hear that and they think 'OK, this is what is happening here normally and this is our attitude towards Russians' – it is not. It is not representative at all."

The injured included Russians, a German, an American and a Pakistani, Kozlowski told a news conference. One Russian and seven Poles were still in hospital yesterday , though none in a life-threatening condition, he said.

Police detained 156 Poles, more than 20 Russians, a Hungarian, a Spaniard and an Algerian, the Interior Ministry said. One Russian was detained after he threw a firecracker on to the field during the game.

The Russians will go through summary court trials aimed at expelling them from Poland and lifting their European Union visas for five years. Jacek Cichocki, the Interior Minister, said more than 6,000 police were deployed in Warsaw on Tuesday and another 770 were brought in at night. He said they were successful in assuring the security of regular fans.

Euro: Big Russian turnout expected for Greece match - 14/06/2012

Source : Reuters

Polish authorities expect 20,000 Russian fans to arrive in Warsaw with tickets for the Euro 2012 Group A match against Greece on Saturday, twice the number who came for the game against Poland marred by hooligan violence.
Warsaw officials said there would be sufficient security to protect fans and there would be no repeat of clashes on Tuesday in which Polish hooligans fought Russians and police, forcing officers to fire tear gas and rubber bullets to restore calm.
Police detained 184 people, 156 of them Poles and most of the rest Russians, during hours of sporadic violence around the stadium and close to a central fan viewing area.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a phone conversation on Wednesday that Warsaw bore "full responsibility" for the safety of fans, raising the stakes in events which have brought the nations' troubled relationship to the fore.
"The security arrangements (at Saturday's match) will be adequate for the risks," Interior Minister Jacek Cichocki said in a radio interview.
The first sentences for the hooligans handed out by a Warsaw court on Wednesday included suspended jail terms of up to 12 months and fines of 500 zlotys (94.5 pounds).
That was greeted with derision by some Polish media, and President Bronislaw Komorowski, while declining to comment on Putin's demands, said the government must act to ensure tougher sentences were imposed on hooligans.
"There is a turning point now... This is the moment when Poland should implement sharper penalties in a move to free us from fear," the President told broadcaster TVN24.
Putin advisor Mikhail Fiedetov told leading Polish broadsheet Gazeta Wyborcza on Thursday he had suggested to Poland's Interior Minister that June 12 become a day when both national teams play a friendly match each year, to forget the hooliganism.
FLASHPOINT
Nearly 40 judges at a court house - just a block away from the city centre where 100,000 fans watched the match - presided over ongoing hooliganism cases on Thursday.
The corridors were filled with often muscular, bald headed men in sweatshirts along with policemen, many in plain clothes, who made a large number of the arrests and were waiting to testify.
Most of the accused were escorted into the courtroom in handcuffs and bore signs they had recently been in fights, including black eyes and scratched faces, with at least one wearing a bloodied sweatshirt.
One taxi driver wearing a Poland team shirt with the insignia of Legia Warsaw sewn on, admitted he threw a road sign at the police, but said it was because he was intoxicated and angry after Russia scored the first goal.
The trigger for Tuesday's trouble was a march across Poniatowski bridge in central Warsaw by thousands of Russian fans to commemorate Russia's Independence Day.
Warsaw deputy mayor Jacek Wojciechowicz told a news conference Russian fans had not filed an application for another march but the Poniatowski bridge was one of the designated routes for fans to use to the stadium for any game.
"We will not dictate how fans should arrive to the stadium. There are certain routes along which we are directing people Fans can go in as big or as small a group as they like," he said. "The city is prepared for all eventualities."
Many Russian fans did make their way peacefully to the stadium in smaller groups on Tuesday. A Warsaw police spokesman said they were monitoring social media for any sign of planned trouble but he did not expect a repeat of the violence.
Unofficial estimates indicated that as many as 20,000 Russians were in the city during Tuesday's violence, many without tickets for the game, suggesting the overall number coming to Warsaw for the Greece game could be higher.
A UEFA ruling against Russia on Wednesday means the team will be docked six points in qualifying for the next European Championship if their fans step out of line again after earlier disturbances at the tournament.
The ruling relates to incidents at Russia's opening Euro 2012 game against the Czech Republic last Friday where Russian fans set off and threw fireworks and displayed illicit banners at the match in Wroclaw which their team won 4-1.

Euro: Police send thugs to court - 14/06/2012

Source : THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Eight fans in fight are convicted.

Warsaw police say eight people have been convicted in summary procedures and 125 will go before courts after street fights involving Russian and Polish hooligans when their teams played a Euro 2012 match.

Wojciech Malek, a court spokesman, said today the charges for those convicted include assaulting police officers and "taking part in illegal gatherings."

The brawls left 19 civilians and 17 police officers injured.

The court cases were scheduled to be heard today.

Police detained 156 Poles, 25 Russians, a Spaniard, a Hungarian and an Algerian for the fighting around Tuesday's emotionally charged game between Poland and Russia, which ended 1-1.

There was no violence at the stadium or in the downtown fan zone.

Euro: GERMANY FINED - 14/06/2012

Source : THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

UEFA has fined the German football association $12,550 because fans threw paper missiles at Portugal players during a European Championship match.

Euro: Italy - Croatia - 14/06/2012

Source : Reuters

Ognjen Vukojevic tries to stop Croatian fans from throwing flares into the pitch.





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Source : AFP

'Racist abuse' against Balotelli at Croatia game

Mario Balotelli was racially abused during Italy's 1-1 Euro 2012 Group C match with Croatia in Poznan, Poland, an AFP photographer at the game said on Friday.
The photographer was situated in the corner where the majority of Croatian fans were sitting during Thursday's match and said he heard monkey noises being directed at the Italy striker.
At one point, he also saw a steward picking up a banana that had been thrown onto the pitch.
European football's governing body made no immediate comment and said only that they were awaiting the report from English referee Howard Webb from the match.
A spokesman for the Italian football federation meanwhile said that neither Balotelli nor any other player had mentioned either being abused or the throwing of a banana.
The official, however, said the federation was unhappy about booing during the national anthem.
UEFA has said it was investigating claims Balotelli, who is of Ghanaian origin, was racially abused during Italy's 1-1 draw with Spain in Gdansk Sunday as well as similar allegations involving Russian fans and Czech player Theodor Gebre Selassie.
Selassie is of Ethiopian origin.
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli, though, had strongly rejected the claims in a number of British newspapers that Balotelli was subject to racist taunts against Spain.
"That's absolutely untrue," the Azzurri coach said at a news conference on Monday.
Manchester City forward Balotelli, 21, has previously said that he would walk off the pitch if he were racially abused by fans.
UEFA president Michel Platini said at a pre-tournament news conference in Warsaw that if Balotelli did that, he would receive a yellow card, advising him instead to alert the match referee, who can now stop matches in the event of racist abuse.
Although UEFA has said it has opened an inquiry into the claims against Balotelli and Gebre Selassie, it has not started any formal disciplinary proceedings.
Racism has become a major issue for tournament co-hosts Poland and Ukraine after claims that far-right extremist gangs were rife at football grounds in both countries.
Warsaw and particularly Kiev have strongly denied the allegations, with both they and UEFA maintaining that racism is a problem across European society and not just at football grounds in the two eastern European countries.
Croatia are already facing possible sanction after their fans lit flares and let off smoke bombs to celebrate two first-half goals in their opening Euro 2012 match against the Republic of Ireland, also held in Poznan, UEFA said on Tuesday.
Smoke bombs were also thrown during the Italy match, AFP reporters and photographers in the ground said.



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Source : http://www.rt.com

Croatian football fans beaten

Polish fans have once again initiated violence at the Euro 2012 football championship, attacking a group of Croatian national team supporters in the city of Poznan after the latter played Italy to a 1-1 draw.
This is not the first time the Polish fans have shown inhospitable behavior. On Tuesday, 15 people were injured after Polish hooligans attacked thousands of Russian fans marching through the capital in the run-up to Poland’s match with Russia on the same day.
Meanwhile, a Polish court has sentenced two Russian fans to two and three months behind bars respectively for taking part in the Tuesday brawl. Two Polish hooligans were also sentenced to three and five months each in jail on Thursday.
Dozens of civilians and 17 police officers were injured on Tuesday. Some 25 Russians had turned up for medical help, and one of them remains in a hospital. Warsaw police eventually arrested 156 Polish fans, 25 Russians, a Spaniard, a Hungarian and an Algerian.
Poland's Sports Minister Joanna Mucha said she is ashamed of the actions of the local football hooligans who attempted to disrupt the European Championship by attacking rival Russian fans.
“I am outraged. I am ashamed for these people who came just to make trouble. It's certainly not the fans who cheer Poland. These are mere hooligans,” Mucha told Najważniejsze Wiadomości newspaper.
Despite the fact that thousands of police officers were providing security in the streets, they failed to take control of the situation when the Polish hooligans attacked a march by 5,000 Russian football fans dedicated to Russia Day.

Legia lads with BBB flag

Euro: Sweden - England - 15/06/2012

Source : Reuters

English and Swedish fans clash in the fan zone in Kiev, the night before the game.






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Source : Press

A brief collision between England and Sweden fans took place, prior the game.

Euro 2012: Croatia fined by Uefa after fans let off fireworks - 15/06/2012

Source : http://www.guardian.co.uk

• Croatia Football Federation fined €25,000
• Body also sanctioned after supporter ran on to pitch

The Croatian Football Federation was fined €25,000 (£20,187) by Uefa on Friday for "spectator incidents" during their Euro 2012 Group C match against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday.

"The sanction has been imposed for the setting-off and throwing of fireworks and missiles, and a pitch invasion by a supporter," Uefa said in a statement.

Croatian fans celebrated their second goal during the 3-1 victory in Poznan by letting off firecrackers and flares.

A supporter dressed in his country's national team shirt also appeared to come out of the stands and gave the Croatia coach Slaven Bilic a kiss on the lips in front of the team bench.

Euro: Russia - Greece - 16/06/2012

Source : http://uk.reuters.com

Warsaw police under pressure to protect Russian fans

Warsaw police pledged to protect tens of thousands of fans expected in the Polish capital on Saturday and to avoid a repeat of the violence that marred the Euro 2012 match between Poland and Russia this week, leading to almost 200 detentions.

Russia play Greece in Warsaw on Saturday evening and 20,000 Russians and 4,000 Greeks have tickets to the stadium. At the same time Poland face the Czech Republic in Wroclaw and Warsaw's 100,000-capacity fan zone is expected to be full.

Police are under pressure to halt violence immediately, after being criticised for acting too slowly when Polish hooligans set upon a group of Russian fans marching to the stadium on Tuesday, and when another group tried to break into the fan zone.

The skirmishes were an embarrassment for the Euro 2012 co-hosts, prompting talks between the Polish and Russian leaders and an apology by Warsaw authorities to foreign fans.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a phone conversation on Wednesday that Warsaw bore "full responsibility" for the safety of fans, raising the stakes in events which have brought the nations' troubled relationship to the fore.

Thousands of Russians were on their way to Poland early on Saturday, streaming across land borders or arriving by plane.

"Smiling fans are welcome in Warsaw. But if we see others around like last time then we will detain them immediately," said Warsaw police spokesman Polish fan Maciej Kowalski.

Police were forced to fire tear gas and rubber bullets after crowds of masked and black-clad local hooligans attacked Russia supporters.

Poland's Gazeta Wyborcza daily quoted an unnamed city official as saying "Police are supposed to react faster to violence."

Kowalski said police had arrested another six individuals involved in Tuesday's clashes after they were identified by the public from video images, bringing the total to almost 200.

Among those detained were 24 Russians, two of whom were expelled from Poland on Friday after pleading guilty to fighting and invading the pitch during the 1-1 draw between Poland and Russia.

Russian football officials are also under pressure to keep their fans under control, especially at the stadium, after UEFA threatened to dock them six points in qualifying for the next European Championship if their fans step out of line again following earlier disturbances at the tournament.

Euro: Alleged Polish hooligan leader detained: Police - 16/06/2012

Source : IANS/RIA Novosti

Warsaw police have arrested the suspected ringleader of the Polish attacks on Russian fans at Euro 2012 football championship, spokesman Maciej Karczynski said Saturday.

More than 190 people were detained, including at least 162 Poles and 25 Russians, after Polish hooligans attacked several thousand Russian supporters marching to celebrate a national holiday before the two sides played out a 1-1 draw Tuesday.

Among 20 people arrested in the days after the match was alleged leader of a violent Polish fan group who is already "well known to the police," Karczynski said.

"He is linked with one of the capital's football clubs," Karczynski said.

Despite the man's notoriety, Karczynski said it was still "hard to imagine that he could have a responsibility like this "because he is middle-aged".

Many of those arrested have already received short custodial sentences.

The Polish police are continuing to search for other alleged organisers of the unrest, he added.

Russia received a suspended six-point penalty for Euro 2016 qualification while the Russian Football Union was fined 120,000 euros ($151,000) for crowd disturbances and the use of pyrotechnics at the Wroclaw game.

Euro: Poland - Czech Republic - 16/06/2012

Source : http://football.uk.reuters.com + http://wroclaw.gazeta.pl

Police detain five fans after fighting in Wroclaw

Police detained five Polish men after using tear gas to quell fighting among fans in the centre of the southern Polish city of Wroclaw where Poland lost 1-0 to the Czech Republic on Saturday to be eliminated from Euro 2012.
EURO 2012

"There was fighting between Polish fans. We moved in and had to use tear gas during the worst of the disturbance," local police spokesman Pawel Petrykowski told Reuters.
"The five most aggressive offenders have been detained. Other than that one incident, everyone has had a good time peacefully both before and after the game."
Co-hosts Poland were knocked out in a disappointing performance in front of a capacity home crowd at the city's stadium.
Violent clashes between Polish and Russian fans in the capital Warsaw last Tuesday, which saw supporters fight bloody running battles in the centre of the city, marred the first week of the tournament.

Euro2012: UEFA opens case against England over fans' conduct - 17/06/2012

Source : http://www.ktvn.com

UEFA opened a disciplinary case against the English Football Association on Sunday after some fans tried to invade the pitch during the team's 3-2 victory over Sweden.

England is the seventh of 16 competing countries at the European Championship to be charged by UEFA for disciplinary offenses.

UEFA said in a statement Sunday the attempted invasion of the field at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev on Friday was "inappropriate behavior."

Fans celebrating an England goal were seen running from the stands on to the track circling the pitch before being intercepted by stewards.

UEFA's control and disciplinary body will hear the case on Wednesday. England is likely to get a small financial penalty.

Euro: Russia - Greece - 15/06/2012

Source : http://www.sportsmole.co.uk

Police detain 72 Russian fans

Polish police have confirmed that they arrested 72 Russian football supporters prior to their side's 1-0 loss to Greece on Saturday evening.

The authorities were alerted to large groups of fans, some of which had disguises, who were hanging around the stadium in Warsaw.

"They were in tight-knit groups, with their faces covered and wearing hoods," Warsaw police spokesman Maciej Karczynski told the AFP.

"We found martial arts gloves on them, along with other equipment that could be used in a fight, mouth guards and disguises like fake moustaches and sideburns."

UEFA are yet to comment on the incident.

Update on Serbia - FC Rad fan shot - 10/06/2012

FC Rad fan dies.

United Force

Euro: Spain - Croatia - 18/06/2012

Source : http://www.b92.net

Hooligans riot in Bosnian town after Croatia's EURO defeat

Hooligans from the western, Croat part of the town late on Monday clashed with police as they tried to reach the eastern, Bosniak (Muslim) part.

The town has been ethnically - and unofficially - divided ever since the 1992-95 war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Beta news agency reported on Tuesday that the hooligans caused incidents near a boulevard that marked the war-time separation line.

The police, pelted with stones and bottles, managed to prevent them from reaching the eastern part of the town.

Local media described the scene as "chaotic", with rioters destroying traffic signs and setting garbage dumpsters on fire in addition to attacking the police, who were forced to use tear gas and deploy special forces in order to finally push the hooligans back.

There have been no official reports about any injuries or material damage. Seven persons were detained, while media reports suggest that several police officers suffered minor injuries.

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Source : Mail

Riot in Switzerland

Euro: Croatia fined 80,000 euros for racist chanting at Balotelli - 19/06/2012

Source : http://www.sport.fr

The Croatian Football Federation was fined 80,000 euros by UEFA for racist chants directed at Italy striker Mario Balotelli by their fans at the Euro 2012 Group C match in Poznan last Thursday.

"The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) has been fined 80,000 euros for the setting-off and throwing of fireworks, and the improper conduct of supporters (racist chants, racist symbols) at the UEFA Euro 2012 Group C match against Italy," European soccer's governing body said in a statement.
UEFA said an appeal can be lodged by Croatia, who were eliminated from the tournament after defeat in their final group game by Spain on Monday, within three days of the dispatch of the reasoned decision.
"It is certainly a drastic fine for us. Unfortunately, the behaviour of a tiny group of people immensely tarnishes our reputation and inflicts a huge financial damage," the secretary-general of the Croatian Soccer Federation (HNS), Zorislav Srebric, told Reuters.
"It is difficult to deal with such individuals and we would need stronger preventive measures and a help from our supporters in isolating them."
The Croatian federation was fined 25,000 euros by UEFA last week for spectator incidents, including the setting off of fireworks and a pitch invasion, in the match against Ireland in Poznan.

The Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network, which works closely with UEFA and has observers at each Euro 2012 game, said that between 300 and 500 Croatian fans were involved in racially abusing Italy's Balotelli.
The financial penalty imposed on Tuesday is 20,000 euros less than the punishment handed out to Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner for revealing the logo of a betting company on his underpants while celebrating a goal at Euro 2012.
"I think 80,000 is a significant fine but I can see the public concern that exists when it is compared to the fine imposed on Nicklas Bendtner," FARE chief executive Piara Powar told Reuters.
Croatia have previously been fined twice in the last four years for the racist behaviour of their fans.
UEFA fined them 20,000 Swiss francs ($20,800) a few weeks after Euro 2008 for racist banners and behaviour during the match against Turkey.
World ruling body FIFA fined the Croatian FA 30,000 Swiss francs a few months later after their fans abused England forward Emile Heskey during a World Cup qualifier in Zagreb.
UEFA president Michel Platini expressed his anger with Croatia on Monday, saying he had spoken of his concerns about supporter behaviour with the Balkan country's President and Prime Minister a year ago.
"I don't manage people but the people who have come to the stadiums (in this tournament), they were very nice, except some Croatians," Platini told reporters.
The issue of racism dominated the build-up to Euro 2012, co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine and the biggest sporting event in eastern Europe since the end of communism.

Euro: More than 500 arrested in Poland to date - 19/06/2012

Source : http://www.supersport.com

Police have arrested a total of 515 people in stadiums and fan zones in Poland's four host cities since the kick-off of the Uefa Euro 2012™ championship, Interior Minister Jacek Cichocki said on Tuesday.

Those arrests included 153 foreigners, among them 92 Russians, 16 Croats and 15 Irish, the ministry said.

Officials said the most difficult days of the tournament were the opening match on June 8 and last week's match between Poland and Russia, which was accompanied by violent clashes when Polish hooligans attacked Russian fans en route to the June 12 game.

About 200 of those arrested were apprehended in connection with the fighting that broke out around the Poland-Russia match, while most of the other arrests were for misdemeanours such as drunkenness and minor thefts, said spokesman Mikolaj Piotrowski of PL.2012, the company in charge of organising the games in Poland.

"Taking into account the number of people who watched the games, the number of arrests compared to incidents is really not that large," Cichocki said. "Police were prepared for a considerably larger number."

Some 3 million people had watched the group stage games in fan zones and stadiums across Poland so far, officials said. People from 110 countries across the world attended the games.

Polish fan zones during the group phase were more crowded than during the Euro 2008 or the 2010 World Cup, officials said.

Some 2.07 million people watched the games in Polish fan zones, compared to 1.6 million during the last Euro in Switzerland and Austria and 1.5 million in the World Cup.

The Irish had the record-high attendance among foreign fans, with some 25 000 Irish fans watching their team play Spain on Thursday in Gdansk. Czech fans were second-place with an attendance of some 18 000 Czechs noted at their game Saturday against Poland.

Medics attended to some 1 500 incidents during the tournament so far, officials said.

England: Huddersfield Town fans banned from football for three years after MK Dons flare incident - 23/06/2012

Source : http://www.examiner.co.uk

THREE football fans have been banned from attending ALL soccer matches for three years.

They set off a flare in celebration at Huddersfield Town’s play-off success.

A court heard how Town fan Thomas Green, 22, took a flare into the Galpharm Stadium and set it off at the end of the play-off semi final second leg against MK Dons on May 15.

CCTV footage screened in court identified Green (pictured) holding the smoking flare.

He was seen passing it to Joseph Hayes, 19, and Ben Heppenstall, 18, during the pitch invasion and jubilant celebrations after Town had secured a place in the Wembley final.

The team went on to beat Sheffield United at Wembley and secure a place in the Championship.

All three defendants appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with possession of a flare at a sporting event.

The trio were arrested days after the game and all admitted the offence in interview.

Green told the probation service prior to sentencing he had thought the flare would be a good way to celebrate if Town secured a win but now accepted his actions were stupid.

The court was told how he had a previous conviction for setting a firework off in a railway station while going to a Town away game.

Mr Majad Zahid representing Green told the court: “He accepts that he brought the flare into the stadium.

“It’s also accepted Mr Green has a previous conviction of a relevant nature.

“But in this case it was not to cause violence or disorder.”

He told the court Green had bought a season ticket for next season and tickets to Wembley prior to being arrested.

Mr Carl Kingsley, representing Ben Heppenstall told the court his client had no previous convictions and was completing his A-levels and working part time. He is the son of a serving police officer and a retired policeman.

He told the court: “You could say this was a good-natured event when they went wrong. There was no suggestion of violence.”

Sonia Kidd, for Hayes, told the court he had written to the Galpharm stadium to apologise for the incident which he also admitted at the first opportunity.

District Judge Marie Mallon issued all three defendants with a football banning order for three years.

She told them they were very fortunate that they were not facing more serious charges at a higher court.

They were handed the soccer banning orders and also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work as part of a 12 month community order.


Green, who had aggravating matters due to previous convictions, must also complete 15 days’ activities as directed by the probation service.

Huddersfield Town’s Chief Executive Nigel Clibben’s said: “The football club has been working closely with the police regarding the incident and we were aware of the legal process.

“The match against the MK Dons was a great occasion – one that shouldn’t have been spoilt.

“We actively look to support the police in making the football club a safe and enjoyable place to visit.”

Argentina: River Plate - Almirante Brown - 23/06/2012

Source : http://www.mdzol.com

After the game, fight erupted between River Plate and Quilmes fans

Translation Underground Fans