Violence broke out before a Champions League Football match on Wednesday when Eintracht Frankfurt fans clashed with local soccer enthusiasts on the streets of Naples. The Frankfurt fans broke car windows and threw flares, chairs, and other objects at innocent people. The fans lit a police car as well as other civilian cars on fire.
The mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi took to Twitter stating, “I’m monitoring what has happened on our streets. An unacceptable climate of guerrilla warfare.”
The police suited up in riot gear to help calm the situation. They directed many fans into their hotels from their buses so they couldn’t continue to attack. This helped defuse any further violence, as Napoli “ultras” were stopped before they could approach any Frankfurt fans. However, this didn’t stop the Napoli fans from throwing bricks and bottles at the buses.
“My thanks go to the police forces who acted to guarantee the safety of the citizens. I appeal to Neapolitans, be responsible,” Manfredi continued in his post.
Sto monitorando quanto accaduto tra le nostre strade. Un clima di guerriglia inaccettabile. Il mio grazie va a Forze dell'Ordine, polizia municipale e Anm che si sono mosse per garantire l'incolumità dei cittadini. Ai napoletani faccio un appello, siate responsabili.
— Gaetano Manfredi (@GaeManfredi) March 15, 2023
The violence started as German fans objected to the local decision that barred any Frankfurt residents from buying tickets to the match against Napoli. The unrest between the two clubs started during the first leg of the team’s season.
The police were told to be on high alert since over 600 Frankfurt fans came to the city for the match. Frankfurt didn’t allocate tickets to the round of 16 match to protect the team following the violence from last month's match. Atalanta fans joined the fray as they are bitter rivals of Napoli.
The game concluded with Napoli winning 3-0. Napoli won the first leg of their matchup last month with a 2-0 win against Frankfurt. Following the distribution, five Napoli fans and three German supporters had been arrested according to the BBC.
AJ Forrisi
Assistant Editor for America Domani, AJ Forrisi is a Brooklyn-based writer and photographer. His work focuses on food, travel, sports, landscapes, and urban scenes. You can find him on Instagram @aj.photo.works.