Copenhagen under siege as fans run riot

An English football fan is reported to have been stabbed as running battles between Galatasaray and Arsenal fans erupted on the streets of Copenhagen in the early hours of this morning, less than 24 hours before the two clubs meet in the UEFA Cup final.

Bottles and glasses were thrown and traffic stopped as fans chased each other around the streets of the historic Danish capital.

There were injuries and arrests as the situation escalated out of control after Turkish fans had repeatedly attacked bars with a British or Irish connection.

A mob of Arsenal supporters led resistance to the Turkish attacks and chaos erupted. According to reports, an English fan was stabbed in the confusion. When a lull developed in the fighting the injured man received extensive treatment. Concerned Arsenal fans knelt on the ground around him as an ambulance came to take him away.

The trouble had begun late in the evening when a mob surrounded a disco bar called the Absalom in a side-street leading off the square. Riot police moved in quickly, trapping the Arsenal fans in the bar and driving back the Turks, whose aggression then switched to the other side of the large square as they attacked a bar called the Scottish Pub. There followed a further attack on the Absalom, and with the situation still unresolved a gang of 40 Arsenal fans advanced towards their Turkish rivals and a confrontation quickly broke out. The fans chased each other across the centre of the square and an attack broke out on a bar and restaurant called Rosie McGee's.

All hell broke loose as missiles of all kinds were thrown by Turks at the bar and returned by the English. Bottles, glasses and bicycles flew through the night air as the battle raged. Police were quickly on the scene, and officers in full riot gear placed themselves between the warring factions before officers with dogs finally brought the fighting to an end.

It was then that the injury to the Arsenal fan became apparent and concern grew over how serious it might be.

Two Leeds United fans were stabbed to death in Istanbul last month on the eve of the first-leg of the semi-final with Galatasaray.

The thousands who arrived yesterday were informed via a leaflet written in English and Turkish that: "Copenhagen is one of the most peaceful capital cities in the world." It was signed Hanne Bech Hansen, Commissioner of the Copenhagen Police.

It went on to say: "It is a tradition in Denmark that a football match is a popular celebration, performed in a sportsmanlike spirit both on and off the field. Disorders are not usually seen in connection with football matches."

Officer Hansen had hoped it would stay that way, but the memory of the April 5th murder of two Leeds United fans in Istanbul was strong. A shadow had been cast by the deaths of Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus. After this morning's events, to say the UEFA Cup has an image problem is an understatement. On the pitch too, its credibility rating is dwindling. With last season's snuffing out of the Cup Winners' Cup, logic said that to win one of two European competitions would be seen as a greater triumph than winning one of three. Not so. UEFA's decision to allow in those clubs eliminated from the Champions League initial group stage has left the UEFA Cup looking like a junior football Plate competition.

The fact that the two finalists both came from the Champions League has reinforced this impression. Whoever wins tonight will not defend their title - Galatasaray and Arsenal are both in next season's Champions League - unless they are knocked out of that competition early again.

Yesterday morning, before boarding his flight, Arsene Wenger said plainly that qualifying for the European Cup meant more than winning the UEFA Cup. "It secures the future of the club," said Wenger, a reference to being able to retain the services of the likes of Marc Overmars.

For Arsenal it should not be this way. Domestically the club may be a giant, but Arsenal have won just two European trophies. The first, the Fairs Cup in 1970, was a forerunner of the old UEFA Cup, the second, the 1994 Cup Winners' Cup. That the latter was won here in Copenhagen should add some spice. Should do. But even Dixon, who along with Tony Adams, David Seaman and Nigel Winterburn played in the 1-0 victory over Parma, is underwhelmed. "We've been lucky enough to be handed another chance to win something," he said.

Galatasaray are investing the Cup with some prestige however. Being the first Turkish side to reach a European final is the reason. But there is also a genuine sense of achievement. To overcome teams of the calibre of Borussia Dortmund and Leeds is no small feat.