Aston Villa supporters exclaimed that “all hell broke loose” prior to their match against Legia Warsaw in Europe.
Flares were thrown at the police, injuring four of them, one of whom is thought to have sustained burns. The officers were interacting with visiting fans.
While police prevented the away fans from entering, home fans also reported that missiles were being thrown into the stadium from outside the venue.
According to West Midlands Police, 46 persons were detained.
Justin, a Villa supporter, told BBC Radio WM that “literally all hell broke loose” as he approached the north stand parking lot prior to kickoff.
“When I turned around, things were flying over the top and flares were being thrown.He said, “[The police] moved very, very quickly to put an end to that.
It had been described as “scary” by one supporter.
Simon Osborn remarked, “I’ve never seen nothing like it, pretty scary.”
One officer was taken to the hospital after officers were “faced with disgusting and highly dangerous scenes,” according to West Midlands Police.
According to Rich Cooke, the chairman of the police federation, one officer was believed to have sustained burns during the disturbance.
While in the Holte End, Phil Strickley reported that spectators had begun tossing bottles into the stadium, some of which had been taken from a burger van.
“They were literally picking up all their ketchup bottles and launching them into the stadium, trying to hit our fans,” he stated.
Due to concerns about their safety, Legia Warsaw supporters were prevented from entering Villa Park for Villa’s Europa Conference League match.
Officers attempting to retake control of the area were observed brandishing batons and shields as supporters of the Polish team attempted to break through.
While attending the match with his eight-year-old son, Birmingham councilman Waseem Zaffar revealed that certain away supporters had gained entry to the stadium.
“As soon as their team scored, they jumped up and then there was little spats here and there and a few of them got kicked out,” he said.
In addition to the four officers, West Midlands Ambulance Service reported that ten individuals outside the venue received minor medical attention from paramedics.
Tensions were thought to have started the disorder after the number of tickets allotted to visiting supporters was lowered to 1,000 on the recommendation of the local emergency services.
Attending the game was Prof. Clifford Stott of Keele University, a specialist in crowd management for football games.
“Tonight, I saw some of the most severe disorders I’ve ever seen in a UEFA competition. He wrote on X, “Legis Warsaw have important issues to address, and I don’t see how Uefa cannot act.”
The mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, called on Uefa, the body that oversees European football, to “swiftly… take strong action” against Legia Warsaw.
During the massive unrest that occurred during Legia Warsaw’s match against AZ Alkmaar last month, several Dutch police officers were hurt.
Aston Villa prevailed 2-1 on Thursday night thanks to a goal from Alex Moreno in the 58th minute.
