TIRANA, May 25, 2022 – Nineteen police officers were injured Tuesday night and about 70 Dutch and Italian fans were detained following clashes as Tirana prepares to host the UEFA Conference League final between Feyenoord and Roma.
The match is scheduled for Wednesday night at Air Albania Stadium and it’s the first ever event of its kind to be hosted in Albania.
“We call on the Italian and Dutch fans, to whom we will also communicate through official channels, to behave and act like European citizens, in the city and in the stadium, to obey the laws of the Albanian state and do not confront police officers, otherwise the law will be strictly enforced,” State Police said in a public statement, reminding fans that under Albanian law penalties for disobeying police range from a fine to five years in prison.
Several incidents took place across Tirana, starting with the beating of a local man by drunken Dutch fans at a cafe. In a popular club district, another group of Dutch fans clashed with the police, as the latter prevented them from going to the stadium area where Italian fans were. According to police, they violently hit police officers “with glass bottles, sticks, stones and other objects.”
Across town police clashed with a group of Roma fans who used “stones, bottles and sticks” because police stopped them from getting closer to the hotel of the opposing team.
“As a result of violence used by fans for the two finalist teams, 19 State Police officers have been injured, with one being wounded with a knife,” State Police said in a statement. “Four police service vehicles have also been damaged.”
Meanwhile, as a result of violent clashes several people were sent to hospitals — 12 police officers, 3 Italians, 1 Dutchman and 3 Albanians were injured. One police officer was knifed, local media reported.
Specialized Dutch and Italian police officers are on the ground assisting their Albanian colleagues.
While such violence is not unheard of for events of this kind, Albanians are unused to it and there was concern for the safety of the locals and their properties with another influx for Italian and Dutch fans arriving Wednesday.
About 20,000 Italians and 8,000 Dutch are expected to arrive, with several hundred being considered potential hooligans, by authorities.
Tuesday alone 18 charter flights tied to the match arrived, and 36 more are expected on Wednesday. Many of the Italian fans are arriving via ferry, the same method that was used to send some of Tuesday’s troublemakers home prematurely to avoid further clashes.
Albanian police have deployed 2,800 officers, just over 25 percent of the total number of police officers to deal with the match.
The government has imposed very strict security measures, closed Tirana’s entire central area to vehicles as well as declaring the day a holiday for the public sector and schools.
