According to reports from the BBC, England supporters have claimed that they were charged and beaten by police while attempting to enter Napoli’s Diego Armando Maradona Stadium before the Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy on Thursday.
Footage appears to show police pushing back against the England fans as they tried to make their way to the ground. One individual was seen on the ground following a police charge.
Vince Hankinson, an England fan, recounted that the police hit the man on the ground with a shield and baton before leaving him there as other fans trampled over him. Another supporter, Joshua Ray, expressed fear for his safety, noting that the traveling supporters were not informed about police instructions.
Earlier, an England fan had their ticket canceled by the Football Association for displaying an offensive banner about Diego Maradona, the Argentinian football legend, after whom the stadium is named. The FA strongly condemned the individual and took immediate steps to cancel their ticket.
Despite the pre-match disturbances, England went on to record their first victory in Italy since 1961, with Harry Kane scoring to become the nation’s all-time leading goalscorer in the 2-1 win.