Two Brighton fans were attacked Wednesday night in Italy ahead of the club’s Europa League matchup with Roma on Thursday. The Premier League side previously qualified for European competition for the first time in their history. Not only did they manage to grab a place in the Europa League, but they topped their group earlier this past fall. This was an impressive feat considering Group B in the secondary European competition included top teams like Ajax and Marseille.
The BBC reports that around 3,500 Brighton supporters traveled to the Italian capital to catch the upcoming match. Roma will host the English side on Thursday, March 7th and then the two teams are set to face off back on the South Coast exactly a week later.
According to a fan in the area, the two Brighton fans were swarmed by about six people wearing balaclavas. The duo was subsequently stabbed by the assailants and then taken to the hospital. Both Brighton fans are thought to be recuperating after suffering non-life-threatening injuries.
Attack on Brighton fans latest issue among fans in Europa League
Along with the two stabbings, another fan was kicked and punched in the incident. The third fan, Joey Thorpe, explained the situation to the media outlet.
“We were walking home from a bar and being casual, not chanting, and in normal clothes,” stated Thorpe. “We just got jumped from behind by about six guys all in balaclavas, all wearing black and hiding their faces.”
“I got hit in the back of the head a couple of times and then I fell to the floor. They were just kicking me and punching me on the floor. I got back to the hotel, luckily because my injuries weren’t awful, and I found out that two of my friends got stabbed.”
“You shouldn’t go to a football game, and this happens,” continued the Brighton supporter. “I was really excited about the game and to spend it in a nice city, but I’m very apprehensive and nervous now. It’s shook us up a…
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Author : Chris Moore
Publish date : 2024-03-07 17:01:36
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