Two supporters of Swiss club Young Boys were arrested following violent disorder that erupted during the Europa League clash at Aston Villa's Villa Park stadium.
Objects Hurled at Players and Police
The trouble began in the first half of the match, which Aston Villa went on to win 2-1. A section of away fans, supporting the Bern-based outfit Young Boys, began throwing items onto the pitch and at law enforcement. Missiles included broken seats, plastic bottles, and coins.
In a concerning incident, Dutch forward Donyell Malen was struck on the head by an object thrown from the crowd. The violence broke out in the lower tier of the Doug Ellis Stand, coinciding with Villa taking the lead in the game.
Police Response and Arrests
Dozens of police officers in riot gear were deployed to contain the situation. West Midlands Police confirmed that two away fans were arrested on suspicion of affray and assaulting a police officer.
Superintendent Paul Minor issued a strong statement, saying, "We won’t tolerate violence of any kind at football matches." He added that while the majority of the crowd was in good spirit, a small minority of away fans were responsible for the violence that disrupted the game.
Investigation and Troubled History
An investigation into the incident has been launched, with officers reviewing body-worn video and CCTV footage from the stadium. This is not the first time Young Boys have faced disciplinary action for their supporters' conduct.
The club has a recent history of similar issues, having been fined 28,250 euros (£24,729) for supporter trouble at Manchester City two years ago. Furthermore, they were fined approximately 18,000 euros (£15,756) for the use of pyrotechnics at Celtic as recently as February of this year.
