More details have come out of the disturbances surrounding Feyenoord – 1. FC Union Berlin in the Conference League on Thursday evening. It was restless before, during and after the game, although according to the Rotterdam police, worse has been prevented. For example, brass knuckles, weighted gloves, balaclavas and battle bits were seized when a group of German supporters was surrounded by police. All 75 detainees have since been released. Sixteen of them were fined, including for public violence.
It went horribly wrong on Wednesday evening, when part of the Union club management was attacked by Feyenoord hooligans in a restaurant. Nevertheless, Feyenoord does not have to fear revenge actions in two weeks, when the return is on the program in Berlin. “We’ve had problems with the police, not with the fans,” says Andreas Latteman of the Eiserne Hilfe, a legal aid collective for the supporters of the German club, the day after Feyenoord’s 3-1 victory against the German club. General Newspaper.
According to the Germans, the argument with the police was the result of excessive force by the officers. According to Latteman, the riot police started hitting the Oranjeboomstraat in South Rotterdam. According to reports, several German fans were injured in the collision, including on the head. Police dogs are also said to have bitten, which also injured a riot police officer. “If the amok maker continues, the dog can be used bitingly,” a spokesperson for the Rotterdam police explains the use of the police dog.
It is regretted that an riot police officer was also injured. Police dogs are usually only used to deter, the spokesperson emphasizes. “In the hectic pace of the fight, it can happen that a dog bites around in a split second and grabs the wrong person.” With regard to the head injuries, the police state that if a lot of violence is expressed against the police in a short period of time, it can unfortunately happen that someone is hit ‘in a place that is not intended in principle’. A total of 75 arrests were made, including Feyenoord fans.
Nevertheless, the Rotterdam police state that through adequate action, several confrontations have been prevented around the Conference League game. For example, a group of about sixty German fans was arrested after they had traveled by train from Zwijndrecht to Lombardijen-Rotterdam. When the group was enclosed by the police, items such as brass knuckles, weighted gloves, balaclavas and combat bits were revealed. It is expected that eight thousand Feyenoord fans will make their way to Berlin in two weeks, while only 2800 tickets are available for the branch.