There was "full-on guerrilla warfare"
in Naples ahead of Wednesday night's Champions League match in
the city between Napoli and Eintracht Frankfurt, local officials
said Wednesday.
The Italian authorities had banned fans of the German club from
attending the match due to concern about possible violence, but
many Eintracht supporters made the trip to Italy anyway.
A bus carrying a group of Eintracht fans was hit by a barrage of
fireworks and other objects, kicking off the incidents and
havoc.
Some German 'ultras dressed in black with their faces covered
threw glass bottles at a closed bar in the city's Piazza
Bellini.
Police officers were stationed outside a hotel on the Naples
seafront where a number of Eintracht supporters are staying.
Despite this, running battles between opposing fans broke out
Wednesday with objects thrown by German fans and people wearing
motorcycle helmets, and a police are was set on fire in via
Calata Trinità Maggiore.
Another two police vehicles were damaged.
Several rubbish containers were overturned.
Stones were thrown at a coach containing German fans.
Locals ran for cover or huddled in their home for safety.
Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi called the damage wreaked by the
German fans "crazy and unacceptable" while the rightwing League
party said the German government should pay to repair the
damage.
Manfredi said he had meet the German consul in Naples and they
both condemned the violence.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin on Tuesday criticized the
decision to stop Frankfurt residents attending the match and
threatened to move games away from clubs' home grounds if away
fans are banned in future.
Napoli go into Wednesday's last-16 match with a 2-0 advantage
from the first leg.
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