After a friendly match between the second division football team FC Schalke 04 and the Dutch club NAC Breda (2:1), there was a fight between hundreds of fans of both teams. The police intervened with massive forces and used batons to prevent crimes.
People were apparently injured during the riots on Wednesday evening. However, they left when the police arrived. According to initial investigations, up to 200 Schalke fans and 100 fans from Breda were involved in the riots.
Fans from Breda had already set off pyrotechnics at the start of the game in the Parkstadion. At half-time, there were verbal disputes between the fan camps, according to the police.
Police: Another escalation line crossed
The investigation into the incident is ongoing. In the aftermath, some of the suspects’ personal details were identified – including in a restaurant where Schalke fans and their friends from Enschede in the Netherlands were guests.
Chief police director Peter Both spoke of another “line of escalation” being crossed when the police had to use massive forces to protect supposed friendly matches. The police want to hold talks about where such club matches can be held in the future in order to ensure the safety of those involved.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240905-930-223537/1
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