Around 30 football hooligans arrested in Ostrava

The police in Ostrava have arrested around 30 alleged football hooligans over disorder before and during first division game between Ostrava and Sparta Prague, a police spokeswoman said. Some Sparta fans were detained upon arrival in Ostrava on Saturday afternoon after causing disorder on the train. The police said they had been throwing fireworks out of the train and attacked police officers. Others, including a number of Baník Ostrava supporters from Poland, were arrested after violent clashes that erupted during the half-time break. Eleven police officers and an unspecified number of football hooligans suffered injuries in the clashes, according to the police; the second half of the game was postponed by some 20 minutes. Damages to the stadium’s equipment have been estimated at 150,000 crowns. The incidents have been denounced by the Football Association who called for changes to legislation that would allow organizers to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Author: Jan Richter