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Violence was seen breaking out among England fans in the stands of Berlin’s Olympiastadion as well as in the streets of the UK following their team’s defeat in the Euro 2024 final.
Images and footage show supporters clashing inside the German stadium as well as back home in London and other British cities after the Three Lions fell at the final hurdle once more, with Spain winning the tightly contested tournament.
The Metropolitan Police said there were six football-related arrests made in the capital on Sunday, including for alleged assault, alleged homophobic abuse, and alleged drug offences. The UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) said four England fans were arrested on Sunday night, while many people tried to enter the stadium without a ticket.
A total of 77 England supporters were arrested in Germany during Euro 2024, according to the UKFPU, with 13 notices for Football Banning Orders served by UK courts. The body said there were “numerous” cases of England fans attempting to enter stadiums without a ticket throughout the tournament, as well as a number of instances of fans, family members and officials being soaked by alcohol during matches.
A former Manchester City director said some England fans had started brawling in the stadium in the first half of the match on Sunday before a goal had even been scored.
Chris Bird said on X: “England fans fighting each other in the first half once again showing there is a section of support who don’t deserve finals or these players. Disgusting experience, I will never watch England away ever again.”
In one video posted to the social media platform, crowds of England fans appear to be kicking and punching each other to the ground in London. Disorder was also seen erupting in Hertford and Oxford in other clips that have been shared online.
Calling for action to be taken to end the disorder that can often accompany the English game, Mr Bird also said: “There’s a darker side that continues to grow, and it’s heartbreaking. A minority have turned our beloved game into a battleground of hate and violence, fuelled by alcohol and drugs. I witnessed last night fans fighting each other, for what reason - postcodes, club allegiances, senseless divides, a disagreement? It was appalling.”
Tens of thousands of England supporters were in Berlin for the game on Sunday evening, having paid thousands of pounds, travelling by air, road and rail to Germany. Meanwhile, back at home the nation’s pubs, bars and fan zones were mobbed many hours before the 8pm kick-off.
Among measures implemented in Berlin to prevent potential disorder, England fans were only able to purchase low-alcohol pints when Gareth Southgate’s side took on Serbia in their Group C opener at the Veltins-Arena in the German city on 16 June.
The clashes on Sunday come after the violence seen at the previous Euro final against Italy, held in 2021. Wembley Stadium had to be briefly locked down after hordes of ticketless fans breached sections of the stadium and stormed the concourse, sparking some of the worst scenes of rioting seen in the English game for decades.
Prior to Sunday’s match, a spokesman for Police Berlin issued a stark warning to England supporters, telling Telegraph Sport: “Entering the stadium without a valid ticket is a criminal offence and will be prosecuted consistently.”
The UK’s most senior football police officer, Cheshire Police’s chief constable Mark Roberts, also vowed to pursue banning orders for anyone involved in disorder while following England.
Of the estimated around 240,000 visitor trips to Germany from the UK for the tournament, the UKFPU said that “the vast majority behaved well and represented the country in a positive light”.
Mick Johnson, director of the UKFPU, said: “As with any event of this kind there were instances of disorder, and these were swiftly dealt with by the German police with the support of UK officers. There has also been positive action from the CPS and the courts when fans involved in disorder have returned to the UK.”
Mr Johnson added: “We are seeing more instances of people trying to gain entry to matches without tickets, and also an increase in the use of drugs in recent years. These are areas we are looking at more closely to try and prevent them continuing to happen in future.
“The issue we have seen with alcohol and containers being thrown reiterates our stance that drinking in the stands shouldn’t be allowed at matches in the UK. Currently, fans can enjoy a drink before the game and, if they wish, at half-time in the concourse, which is a sensible balance for everyone.
“The overall good behaviour of fans abroad has also been reflected at home. As expected, we did have a busy night across the country for the final, but on the whole we have seen a reduction in the number of football-related incidents across the UK in comparison to the last few international tournaments.”
The UKFPU said two of the arrests made at the final in Berlin on Sunday were for England fans trying to enter the stadium with fake accreditation, while one was for assault, and one was for letting off a smoke bomb.
The Met said it is not aware of any other incidents happening in London during the tournament, beyond the arrests made on Sunday. The force said two of the people were arrested on suspicion of theft after they allegedly targeted fans watching the football. One person was arrested for a public order offence where homophobic abuse was allegedly used, as well as being drunk and disorderly. Another person was arrested on suspicion of breaching a Public Space Protection Order and assault. One person was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of class A drugs, and another person was arrested on suspicion of ABH-level assault.
The Met said: “The policing operation for the European Championship Final was a success and the day’s events passed off largely without incident.”
