Police in Leipzig made two arrests after Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano supporters clashed in the German city on Tuesday night, as thousands of fans arrived for the Conference League final. Saxon State Police said 60 Crystal Palace fans classified as known troublemakers were ordered to leave the city centre on Tuesday evening, while officers later moved in when the disorder spread around the centre.
The trouble flared at about 20:00 BST, when around 300 Rayo Vallecano fans were gathered in the city centre and clashes suddenly broke out with Palace supporters sitting on the outdoor terraces of Leo's Brasserie and Dhillons. Police said bottles, beer glasses and pub furniture were thrown, and physical altercations followed. Officers separated the groups, checked the identities of more than 300 people and issued dispersal orders. Two officers sustained minor injuries.
Saxon State Police said known troublemakers from Crystal Palace later moved to the area of the Penguin Ice Bar, where about 60 people provoked passing Spanish fans and were surrounded by federal police. The police operation ended at about 03:15 on Wednesday morning after more than 320 fans had been involved. Videos of the disorder appeared online, adding to the pressure on a city already packed with travelling supporters before kickoff.
The incident came ahead of Wednesday's final, scheduled for 20:00 BST, in what was the first European final for both Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano. Even so, the fan fest in Leipzig's market area stayed peaceful throughout, with about 2,000 supporters from both clubs gathered there instead of the city-centre hot spots where the trouble broke out.
