England's 1-0 victory over Serbia in their opening Euro 2024 match was marred by violent clashes hours before kick-off in Gelsenkirchen. Seven Serbian nationals were arrested after a brawl broke out on the terrace of a restaurant, leaving one police officer and several fans injured. German police confirmed that English and Serbian supporters were involved, although the cause of the incident remains unclear.
Video footage showed chairs, bottles, and tables being thrown in the area where a large Serbian flag had been displayed. A spokesperson for Gelsenkirchen police said, 'the two fan groups had been separated,' and that the seven Serbian citizens were taken into custody. A complaint of grievous bodily harm has been filed.
A UK football policing unit spokesperson stated that no British nationals were believed to have been arrested at that stage, but investigations were ongoing. 'If any UK nationals have been involved, football banning orders will be sought,' they added. Witnesses reported seeing a man being kicked in the head, and a man from Birmingham was among those injured.
The violence prompted a heavy police response, with around 200 riot officers arriving at the scene. Many perpetrators fled before police arrived. Earlier, a fan march by 4,000 Serbian supporters was temporarily halted due to pyrotechnics, but it later resumed without further incident.
Despite the pre-match trouble, the game itself passed peacefully, with a strong police presence keeping rival fans apart. However, some English fans faced difficulties with transport to the stadium, with long waits for shuttle buses and trams. The stadium was largely full by the 9pm kick-off, which saw England secure a narrow win.
