Bad scenes played out in the run-up to the round of 16 second leg between Napoli and Eintracht Frankfurt. Videos on social media show hooligans throwing objects such as tables, chairs and firecrackers at emergency services on Wednesday afternoon. Even a police car was set on fire. According to media reports, Ultras from Frankfurt attacked the police officers and carabinieri.
At first it was still quiet. The Prefecture of Naples had previously banned fans from Frankfurt from entering the stadium for the game in the evening. In the first leg there were serious riots between Frankfurt and Napoli fans. Eintracht fans attacked Napoli supporters. Nine people were briefly taken into custody at the time. Eintracht, outraged by this, waived the contingent of guest tickets and called on their supporters not to come to Naples. Despite the appeal, numerous supporters traveled to Naples.
The fears of the authorities were confirmed on Wednesday afternoon. A fan march from the port to the city center went largely without incident. However, the situation escalated before dusk.
Videos showed, among other things, how hooded hooligans devastated the outside area of a bar and threw chairs and tables at the police officers. In the central Piazza del Gesù, the rioters set off flares and also shot them at nearby shops. A police car was set on fire on an access road to the square and burned out.
The police had their hands full trying to get the situation under control. The emergency services were then able to put the ultras in the buses and bring them back from the city center to their hotel in the harbor district. The buses were reportedly pelted with stones and bottles by Napoli fans.
“The scenes of the destruction of our historic downtown are unacceptable,” said Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms these unspeakable acts of those responsible, whoever committed them.”