Dutch police held 83 AS
Roma fans for questioning Thursday ahead of a tense match with
Feyenoord, one week after fans from Holland ran berserk in Rome.
Dutch media reports said the fans were being held at a
Rotterdam police station in front of De Kuip stadium after
plumber's gloves with steel knuckles were found in their
luggage.
The Roma supporters have reportedly been banned from the
centre of the city.
Italian police sources in Rotterdam said Dutch police
decided to hold the Italians to prevent them coming into contact
with Dutch fans who have threatened further violence.
The group of Roma fans was to be accompanied to stadium
gates around 6:30 pm to watch the game from the visitors' area.
Fabrizio Grassetti, head of the Roma Supporters Club, said
fans had been harassed by Dutch police on arrival in Amsterdam.
"They made us get out of the coach one by one, searched and
photographed us and held us in the open countryside for two and
a half hours under the rain," he said.
"We're sorry about your fountain," said a poster on the
walls of a Rotterdam pub.
This was a reference to damage wreaked on the so-called
Barcaccia (Sunken Ship), a Bernini fountain at the foot of the
Spanish Steps that was vandalized by rioting Feyernoord fans
last week.
Roma fans posted on Twitter a photo of a broken kitchen
sink with the caption "We destroyed a famous Rotterdam
fountain".
The rematch Thursday evening comes only a week after
hooligans from Holland trashed Rome's famed Spanish Steps in one
of at least two melees that ended with injuries to Rome police
as well as fans.
Dutch police have cautioned they would clamp down "in a
firm way" against any Roman hotheads seeking revenge.
A squad of Italian police also travelled to the
Netherlands to assist Dutch law and order, with cops from both
countries holding a "summit" meeting Wednesday evening, police
sources said.
Tensions were heightened Wednesday with a Twitter post
showing the image of a T-shirt apparently threatening Italian
fans.
The T-shirt read: "We'll see you Thursday and we'll stab
you AS Roma scum" under an image of the Barcaccia.
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