Police in Leipzig said 60 Crystal Palace supporters classified as “known troublemakers” were ordered to leave the city centre on Tuesday evening after clashes broke out between fans of Palace and Rayo Vallecano ahead of Wednesday’s Conference League final.
Saxon State Police said the disorder began at about 20:00 local time, when around 300 Rayo Vallecano fans, identified by police as high risk for hooliganism, were gathered in the city centre. The clashes reportedly started suddenly when supporters on the outdoor terraces of Leo’s Brasserie and Dhillons were confronted by rival fans. According to police, bottles, beer glasses and pub furniture were thrown during the incident, and physical fights also took place.
Officers from both the Federal Police and the State Police intervened quickly, separating the two groups, checking the identities of more than 300 people and issuing dispersal orders. Police said two arrests were made following the violence, and two officers sustained minor injuries during the operation.
The force added that some Crystal Palace supporters later moved to the area of the Penguin Ice Bar, where about 60 individuals were seen provoking passing Spanish fans before being surrounded by federal police and ordered to leave the area. Police said the full operation ended at about 03:15 on Wednesday morning, with more than 320 fans involved in total.
Thousands of supporters had travelled to Leipzig for the final between Crystal Palace and the Spanish side, which kicks off at 20:00 BST on Wednesday. Despite the clashes in the city centre, local police said the official fan zone in Leipzig’s market area remained peaceful throughout the evening. Around 2,000 fans from both clubs were present there without any reported incidents.
