A far cry from the beautiful game.
Unfortunately, it isn’t the football that’s been dominating the headlines from Euro 2016. Instead, the football hooliganism has taken centre stage in France, particularly the violence between England and Russia fans before and after their international sides’ tournament opener.
VIDEO: Shameful scenes as Russian fans charge at England supporters inside the stadium after final whistle https://t.co/NEFiRiFor6
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 11, 2016
It isn’t just groups of England and Russian supporters that are engaging in acts of violence at the major tournament, there was also trouble in Nice where Northern Irish and Poland supporters had gathered ahead of Sunday’s Group C opener.
The two sides meet at the Allianz Riviera on Sunday evening, and there had been a jovial and good-natured relationship with fans drinking and having fun together throughout the day on Saturday.
Trouble in Marseille but up the road in Nice … Poland & N Ireland fans are taking selfies with each other. pic.twitter.com/RxgrTRw87n
— Mark Simpson (@BBCMarkSimpson) June 10, 2016
However, at some point in one particular section of Nice, troubled flared and the police moved in as punches were thrown between various groups.
https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/741750180861599744
It’s is unclear at this stage whether it was locals who launched the attack on the Irish and Polish fans, or if it was trouble between rival fans, though the BBC’s Mark Simpson is reporting that it was French locals who instigated the trouble.
Order restored in centre of Nice. Poland & NI fans singing together. French hooligans blamed for starting trouble. pic.twitter.com/GO60Rc5MWr
— Mark Simpson (@BBCMarkSimpson) June 11, 2016
But for a tournament that began with so many concerns over genuine terrorist threats there’s something sickening to see so much needless and pointless violence on the streets.
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