Further Arrests Following Football Violence at Villa Park
West Midlands Police have made six additional arrests following violent disorder involving supporters of Swiss club BSC Young Boys during Thursday night's Europa League match at Aston Villa's Villa Park. The men were detained at Birmingham Airport on Friday afternoon, bringing the total number of suspects in custody to eight.
Match Night Chaos and Police Response
The trouble erupted in the lower tier of the Doug Ellis Stand when Aston Villa took the lead in their 2-1 victory. Dozens of police officers in riot gear were deployed to contain the situation as items including broken seats and coins were thrown at officers and Villa players.
Dutch forward Donyell Malen was among those targeted, being struck on the head during the disturbances. The police confirmed that a number of their officers were assaulted by the visiting supporters.
Ongoing Investigation and Club's Previous Record
Superintendent Paul Minor stated: "The majority of the crowd was in good spirit, but unfortunately, a small minority of away fans caused violence and disrupted the game." He confirmed that an investigation has been launched with officers reviewing body-worn video and CCTV footage from the stadium.
This isn't the first time Young Boys have faced disciplinary action for their supporters' behaviour. The Swiss club was previously fined 28,250 euros (£24,729) for similar issues at Manchester City two years ago and approximately 18,000 euros (£15,756) for pyrotechnic use at Celtic in February.
The two initial arrests during the match were made on suspicion of affray and assaulting a police officer. The six additional men arrested at the airport face suspicion of assaulting a police officer and violent disorder.
