Two Brighton fans have been stabbed in central Rome ahead of their Europa League match against AS Roma tonight, Italian media has reported.
The duo were set upon by seven people wearing masks in the early hours of the morning while walking on Via di Monte Polacco in the capital’s Monti neighbourhood, according to La Repubblica.
The group left the pair of supporters with stab wounds to their legs, before stealing bags containing their wallets and documents.
Police attended the scene and are investigating the incident, which saw both of the fans hospitalised.
Even before the attack, police had already been on high alert to deal with any clashes
Getty
One of the pair, 28, received three stab wounds to his left thigh and was taken to San Giovanni hospital, while the other, 29, was stabbed several times on his right thigh, and was treated at Rome's Umberto I Polyclinic, La Repubblica reported.
The English fans were found bleeding on the ground by a restauranteur who then called the police.
Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage from the area, halfway between the Colosseum and Roma Termini station, in an attempt to identify the attackers.
PC Darren Balkham, police liaison to Brighton and Hove Albion and its supporters, said he had spoken to the pair, “who are both ok”.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The pair were found by a restauranteur on Via di Monte Polacco (pictured)
PC Balkham reiterated the pre-match advice issued by the club, which warned fans against street crime in Rome and contained advice from Italian police to avoid “flags and colours in the city”.
Brighton fans had been told they should expect to be held back from leaving the Stadio Olimpico for up to an hour for “safety reasons”.
While Italian authorities, alongside AS Roma and Uefa, had organised a security plan surrounding the match to prevent any direct confrontation between the two sets of fans.
Police were already on high alert to deal with any clashes even before last night's incident, Gazzetta dello Sport said.
The stabbings come alongside reports of more violence against Brighton fans in the capital.
Joey Thorpe, 27, said on social media: “Me and a couple of my mates got attacked in Rome last night after leaving a bar.
“Just want to say that every Brighton fan in Rome please be careful. It’s so dangerous out here and worse than Marseille. It’s a game of football. Not that deep. It’s absolutely pathetic behaviour.”
Brighton will play AS Roma later this evening at the Stadio Olimpico, where 100 police officers are set to be deployed.
