Violent clashes between Legia Warsaw supporters and the police marred Aston Villa’s Europa Conference League game at Villa Park. Despite Unai Emery’s team aiming for another successful night in European football, the victory was overshadowed by disturbing scenes outside the stadium.
The provided footage illustrates confrontations between the police and visiting fans, leading to the arrest of more than 30 individuals. The violence included the throwing of projectiles at the police, with the visiting supporters held in the coach park near the stadium before their scheduled entry for the group game on Thursday.
In response to the incidents, Aston Villa issued a statement explaining that, upon the advice of West Midlands Police, no away fans were allowed into Villa Park for the UEFA Europa Conference League fixture with Legia Warsaw. The decision stemmed from significant disorder caused by Legia fans in a previous match against AZ Alkmaar, resulting in injuries to Dutch police officers. As a consequence, UEFA had previously banned Legia supporters from traveling to Mostar for a game against HŠK Zrinjski.
Despite ongoing communication and requests for cooperation from Aston Villa regarding the safety of away fans attending Villa Park, Legia Warsaw did not provide the necessary assistance. The club highlighted its repeated concerns to Legia, UEFA, and relevant authorities about ticketless away supporters attempting to attend the match. Approximately an hour before kick-off, Legia fans engaged in planned and systematic violent acts against West Midlands Police officers, prompting the decision to exclude all Legia supporters.
Aston Villa expressed strong condemnation for the behavior of the visiting supporters and extended gratitude to West Midlands Police for their professionalism in managing a challenging situation.
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