Leeds fans injured in preseason clashes
Several Leeds United supporters were injured after violent clashes broke out at the end of their preseason game against Eintracht Frankfurt in Austria on Tuesday night.
Three Leeds fans and two police officers required treatment following the match, which took place in Eugendorf near Salzburg. Police told local newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten that 25 people were arrested, 17 of whom were fans of the German club.
Eintracht won the friendly 2-1, which was watched by around 1500 people. Scuffles began shortly after supporters entered the pitch following the full-time whistle.
Nach der Prügelei in Österreich: “Ihr seid eine Schande für den Verein” http://t.co/VcfatNNgUv @Eintracht_News #SGE pic.twitter.com/DcfyVNi2hk
– FNP Frankfurt (@fnp_zeitung) July 22, 2015
Pictures from the game show how riot police armed with batons and supported by dogs were forced to intervene to separate two groups of supporters.
“A few of us went over to applaud the Frankfurt fans. I was going to shake their hands,” Leeds fan Neil Slinn, 53, told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“Then their ultras jumped over the [advertising] boards and started attacking us. Some were wearing balaclavas and we were outnumbered.”
Salzburger Nachrichten said Leeds fans were also attacked upon leaving the stadium and further incidents were reported later in the centre of town, where police used pepper spray to help restore order.
According to the Austrian newspaper, police had begun to have problems earlier in the day, when about 50 Frankfurt fans got on a bus without buying a ticket.
Shortly before kickoff at 18.00 local time, a more serious issue arose when a group of fans tried to muscle their way through a security cordon outside the ground.
Two police officers were injured during this incident, according to the paper, and four people were arrested. One Leeds fan was later detained for throwing a seat at a police officer.
Salzburger Nachrichten reports that due to the pregame problems, reinforcements were ordered to leave a nearby friendly match between Salzburg and Bayer Leverkusen in order to be at Eugendorf in time for the end of the Eintracht-Leeds game.
While the violence will not have done Eintracht’s image any good, the Bundesliga club’s sporting aspirations also took a hit when Luc Castaignos pulled up with a thigh injury after only 18 minutes.
The 22-year-old Dutch attacker is being flown back to Frankfurt to recover, with Eintracht coach Armin Veh saying: “It’s better if he’s treated at home.”
Castaignos moved to Germany last month from FC Twente for a reported fee of €2.5 million.
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