Videos show pitched battles in Market Square as 25,000 supporters descend on Polish city for crunch match
Football fans went to WAR in the streets of Poland last night as Chelsea and Real Betis supporters clashed with riot police just hours before tonight’s massive Conference League final.
Shocking footage emerged showing Polish police spraying tear gas on Chelsea fans to force them apart from their Spanish rivals in ugly scenes that have cast a shadow over what should be a celebration of European football.
The violent confrontations erupted in Wroclaw’s historic Market Square, where thousands of supporters from both clubs had gathered to soak up the pre-match atmosphere ahead of tonight’s showdown at the Wrocław Stadium.
TEAR GAS DEPLOYED AS FANS BRAWL
Several videos and images circulated on social media showing fierce clashes between the two sets of fans outside the city’s bars and restaurants, with local police forced to intervene with heavy-handed tactics to restore order.
Witnesses described scenes of “absolute chaos” as groups of supporters squared off in the cobbled square, hurling bottles and trading punches while families with children fled in terror.
It was like a war zone,” said one British tourist who witnessed the violence. One minute everyone was having a laugh and singing songs, the next there were grown men throwing chairs at each other and police everywhere with their riot gear on.
The trouble began around 7pm local time when groups of Chelsea fans, many who had been drinking since arriving in the morning, encountered a large contingent of Real Betis supporters near the city’s famous Gothic town hall.
POLICE FORCED TO ACT
Polish police were called in to intervene as Chelsea and Real Betis fans clashed in what local authorities described as some of the worst football-related violence the city has seen in years.
Video footage shows officers in full riot gear forming protective lines between the warring factions, with several arrests made as the situation spiraled out of control.
The police had no choice but to use pepper spray,” said local resident Anna Kowalski, 45, who watched the drama unfold from her apartment window. “It was getting really nasty down there – people were getting seriously hurt.”
The violence has marred what was supposed to be a festival atmosphere in the beautiful Polish city, which is hosting its first major European final since the stadium was built for Euro 2012.
25,000 FANS DESCEND ON CITY
Around 25,000 supporters have descended on Wroclaw for tonight’s historic clash, with Chelsea receiving an allocation of approximately 12,300 tickets for their first-ever Conference League final appearance.
The Blues are looking to cap off a remarkable European campaign that has seen them score 38 goals in just 12 matches – more than any other team in the competition.
For Real Betis, this represents their first ever European final, making tonight’s match a career-defining moment for the Spanish club’s passionate supporters.
But the pre-match buildup has been overshadowed by the violent scenes that have left local police on high alert ahead of tonight’s 9pm kick-off.
FAMILIES CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE
Most heartbreaking of all were the innocent families caught up in the violence, with parents grabbing their children and running for safety as the situation deteriorated rapidly.
We’d brought our 8-year-old son to experience his first European final,” said devastated Chelsea fan Mark Johnson, 38, from Surrey. “Instead he’s traumatized after seeing grown men behaving like animals. It’s absolutely disgusting.”
Local businesses were forced to pull down their shutters as the trouble spread through the narrow medieval streets, with restaurant owners fearing for their windows and outdoor seating areas.
Emergency services treated several fans for cuts and bruises, though mercifully no serious injuries have been reported.
CLUBS URGED TO ACT
Both Chelsea and Real Betis had held open training sessions and press conferences yesterday, with managers Enzo Maresca and Manuel Pellegrini focusing on the football rather than any potential crowd trouble.
But tonight’s match now faces the possibility of increased security measures, with local authorities warning that any repeat of last night’s violence could result in severe punishment for both clubs.
UEFA has been contacted for comment but is yet to respond to the shocking scenes that have tarnished what should be a celebration of European football’s newest competition.
The Conference League was created to give smaller clubs a chance to experience European glory, but last night’s violence shows that some fans still see football as an excuse for tribal warfare.
FINAL GOES AHEAD
Despite the violence, tonight’s final will go ahead as planned at 9pm local time, with both sets of supporters hoping their teams can provide the right kind of drama on the pitch rather than off it.
Chelsea have won 11 of their 12 Conference League games this season, while Betis have won only half of their 14, making the Blues firm favorites to lift their first European trophy since 2021.
But for the residents of Wroclaw and the innocent fans caught up in last night’s trouble, the beautiful game showed its ugliest face when it should have been showcasing the best of European football.
As the city cleans up the debris from last night’s chaos, all eyes will be on whether the supporters can put aside their differences and let the football do the talking when the whistle blows tonight.
