Violent fan clashes in Gelsenkirchen before England's first match of Euro 2024 (2024)

It was an altercation between English and Serbian fans, who were separated by the police. Further measures are underway and the background is currently being clarified.

In the other Group C game, Denmark lead Slovenia at the Stuttgart Arena thanks to a first half strike from Christian Eriksen.

It came 1100 days on from suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch at Euro 2020.

Follow the second half here.

We are aware of an issue in Gelsenkirchen ahead of the England v Serbia match. Our German colleagues have made a number of arrests of what we currently believe to be Serbian supporters. At this stage we do not believe that any UK nationals have been arrested but enquiries are ongoing.

Our officers are at the location speaking to German colleagues. Our investigation team is now reviewing footage of the incident and if any UK nationals have been involved, football banning orders will be sought.

No English fans have been arrested despite launching the attack on Serbian fans meaning the hooligans involved are still at large.

Police confirmed they were investigating a “physical altercation”.

A spokesman for Gelsenkirchen police said: “We can confirm that there was a physical altercation between several people in the south of the city of Gelsenkirchen.

“The police are on site with sufficient personnel and have the situation under control. We cannot confirm at this point whether the altercation was football related or which nationalities were involved.”

The hooligans who started the brawl are believed to be either English or Albanian after attacking a restaurant where Serbian fans were sitting.

In one video, a fan hurling a table had a Bolton Wanderers tattoo on his leg suggesting thefans were English, but other witnesses believed they were Albanian.

Hooligan social media accounts show Albanian ultras from Shvercerat posing with Birmingham City fans in Gelsenkirchen this morning.

British police spotters were on the scene as the violence erupted but it is still unclear who launched the attack.

An English fan said a group of men in balaclavas “ran around the corner and started throwing bottles.”

“I ran away and the next thing I saw was the tables being smashed and chairs being thrown,” the fan, who gave his name as Larry, added.

His friend added: “It was premeditated.They threw bottles, I just ran off.”

A mother and son enjoying their regular Sunday routine of coffee and cake at the Café Pabot opposite the Hirt Steakhouse said they were sat on the first floor when “all of a sudden bits of food and bottles started being thrown.”

“It happened so fast,” Felix Wurmes, 35, said. “Then one group ran off, followed by the other.”

His mother, Beate Rafrlkski, 66, added: “They have had too much beer I expect – there’s too much emotion.We were anxious the trouble was going to spread to inside the café.”

Café worker Petra Thiel said another person who was in the restaurant at the time told her she had heard the attackers shouting something in Serbian.

“In total, there were about 50 people involved,” she added. “I didn’t see any masks”.

Tonight, and throughout the tournament, you can take advantage of these Euro 2024 betting offers.

Neil Johnston, Senior News Reporter

Police are saying there was a scuffle between England fans. A man, who had been arrested, has now been released and is from Sunderland .

A German officer in riot gear said there was an argument which led to an arrest. Bottles were smashed in the street, with witnesses saying it was a bar fight. The said police expect more violence later but were “well prepared” for trouble.

England’s campaign gets under way in Gelsenkirchen tonight against Serbia. Jamie Carragher has explained why the performances of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham will prove to be more important to England’s chances than manager Gareth Southgate.

England will wear an all-white kit tonight against Serbia in their Euro opener, as they did in the two crucial victories against Italy in qualification to reach the finals in Germany.

Gareth Southgate’s official home colours - and the combination for supporters buying the Nike strip in shops - is the traditional white shirt with blue shorts. England were expected to wear this combination at Arena AufSchalke tonight but in a late change will wear white shorts.

They wore all-white in their Euro 2020 opener three years ago against Croatia, and also against Italy in the Wembley final of the tournament when they lost on penalties. They wore it twice at the World Cup in 2022, drawing against USA and winning against Senegal.

It was during the qualifiers to reach Euro 2024 that Southgate’s team wore all-white during wins in Naples, which laid the foundation for qualification, then against the Italians at Wembley when they sealed their place in the finals.

England also have their eye-catching “dark raisin” away strip which they wore against Bosnia in a warm-up friendly. They also wore all-white against Iceland in their final match, which ended in defeat, before flying out to Germany.Serbia will be in all-red.

The incident is said to have taken place around 12.30pm local time on Silbersackstrasse near a fanzone for supporters of the Netherlands national team, who are due to face Poland in their opening Group D game at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion on Sunday afternoon.

According to eyewitness accounts, four loud bangs were heard and then scores of riot police moved in. Police have closed the Reeperbahn in Hamburg, not far from the fan zone where thousands of Holland fans are congregating.

The German newspaper Bild have reported that the incendiary device was a “Molotov co*cktail” in the attacker’s backpack. According to reports, the man was hit in the leg.

Neil Johnston, Senior News Reporter

In footage posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming to be of the incident, shots were heard before police were pictured dealing with a person on the ground.

Police added that the match between Poland and the Netherlands “is subject to various security checks and is well protected” and “we are currently assuming an individual perpetrator”.

Neil Johnston, Senior News Reporter

Police in Germany have shot an axe-wielding man who threatened football fans at the Euros.

The incident took place on the Reeperbahn in Hamburg, a popular entertainment district in Hamburg’s city centre, where Dutch supporters were marching.

Around 40,000 Dutch supporters were taking part in a peaceful protest when a man wielding a gold-coloured axe began to attack fans and officials, the German newspaper Bild reported.

A statement by Hamburg police read: “At St Pauli there is currently a major police operation.

“According to initial findings, a person threatened police officers with a pickaxe and an incendiary device. The police then used their firearms. The attacker was injured and is currently receiving medical treatment.”

Euro 2024 is finally upon us and England kick off their campaign tonight in Gelsenkirchen against Serbia at 20.00 BST. It has been a long 18 months since England’s defeat at the hands of France at the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022 and all England fans are hoping that the long wait for major tournament success since 1966 will end next month with glory in Berlin in the final.

The tournament got under way on Friday night where the hosts Germany kicked off their campaign in emphatic style with a 5-1 battering of Scotland. Yesterday saw Switzerland, Spain and Italy all begin with wins. Despite those wins for the likes of Germany and Spain, England are still favourites with many of the bookmakers. That certainly increases the pressure on Gareth Southgate and England but, with the players at their disposal, they should be amongst the favourites to win Euro 2024 and it will likely come down to how they handle the pressure on them.

This could well be Southgate’s last chance to win a major tournament with England. Having taken over in 2016 initially as interim manager after Sam Allardyce’s one game in charge, he has led England into three tournaments, reaching the Euro 2020 final losing to Italy. His contract runs out at the end of the year and he has admitted to German newspaper Bild this week that he may no longer be the England manager beyond the tournament should they fail to win Euro 2024.

Before England kick off against Serbia, they may have one small eye on the other game in Group C where Slovenia play Denmark, whom England beat in the semi-finals at the last Euros, at 17.00 BST.

England historically have not fared well in their opening matches at the Euros. Of their last nine opening games at the European Championship, their only victory came last time out in 2021 against Croatia where Raheem Sterling’s only goal at Wembley gave England a 1-0 win. Southgate will be hoping this campaign does not stall at the first hurdle. England have not been in the best of form lately either; registering just one win from their last five games in all competitions.

We will have all of the build-up to tonight’s match so make sure you stay with us all day! Do not go anywhere!