Roma supporters have accused English police of treating them "like dogs" around the club's trip to Manchester, where the match against Manchester United at Old Trafford was marked by tension, disorder and medical incidents, as well as a defeat on the pitch. Two Roma fans, speaking to the Adnkronos agency, described the difficulties they faced before and after Manchester United v Roma.
According to their account, the march that set off from the city centre took around an hour to reach the stadium, and an equal amount of time was needed to get into the away section. While they waited, a young woman reportedly felt unwell. Tension with the police had already broken out before kick-off, with one fan arrested and six others detained, according to press reports. In protest, the away end turned its travel banner upside down and stayed silent for the first fifteen minutes of the match.
The tensions reportedly continued after the final whistle. The most serious account concerns a Roma supporter who reportedly suffered a medical episode while leaving the stadium. "A lad felt unwell while leaving, but the police thought he wanted to cause trouble and handcuffed him, throwing him to the ground," witnesses told Adnkronos. His friends then asked for medical staff to intervene. Il Romanista published a video showing a fan pinned to the ground by officers, and reported that the supporter later needed medical assistance.
"In general they have always been hostile, it seemed they were just waiting for an excuse to arrest us," the fans added, describing an atmosphere of tension that lasted throughout the evening. The accusations, backed by images and testimony gathered in recent hours, will need to be fully clarified, including the version of the English authorities.
Story Coverage6 sources on this story
Roma played Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday 3 November in the Champions League league phase, the fourth matchday, with kick-off at 21:00 according to Roma News. GialloRossi.net reports that Roma lost on the pitch and that the evening was also marked by tension, with Roma supporters telling Adnkronos that English police treated them "like dogs." They described an hour-long march to the stadium and a similar wait to enter the away section. GialloRossi says one fan was arrested and six others detained before kick-off, and that the away end turned its travel banner upside down and stayed silent for the first fifteen minutes.
The most serious allegation concerns a supporter who reportedly suffered a medical episode while leaving the stadium. Witnesses told Adnkronos that police handcuffed him and threw him to the ground, believing he wanted trouble. Il Romanista published video of a fan pinned down by officers and reported that he later needed medical assistance. GialloRossi notes that these accusations still need to be clarified, including the version of the English authorities.
Before the match, Roma News recalled that Manchester United beat Roma 7-1 in 2007 and 6-2 in 2021, and said Roma wanted to erase those heavy defeats. It added that Michael Carrick, now United's coach, scored two goals in 2007 and is close to being sacked, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. Forza Roma reported impressive chants at the meeting point, Gollini as a doubt, and Mora alongside Soulé and Malen in attack. Roma News said Roma would wear their grey third kit, with the goalkeeper in yellow, while Forza Roma, citing Daniele Aloisi, reported a choreography prepared in the home end.
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Testo Originale / Source Text
“Non soltanto l’amara sconfitta sul campo. La trasferta della Roma a Manchester è stata segnata anche da momenti di forte tensione tra i tifosi giallorossi e la polizia inglese, con disordini all’esterno dell’Old Trafford e nuovi episodi contestati al termine della partita.
“Ci hanno trattato da…”
Read the full article in Italian at GialloRossi.net.
