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      Police charge 46 men, including one for possessing a knife, over violent scenes outside Aston Villa’s with Legia Warsaw

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      POLICE have confirmed that 46 men have been charged after the violent scenes outside of Aston Villa’s clash with Legia Warsaw – including a man in possession of a knife.West Midlands Police announced yesterday that 46 Legia fans were in custody following Thursday’s serious disorder outside Villa Park at the Europa Conference League match.
      Violent scenes marred Aston Villa’s clash with Legia Warsaw on ThursdayCredit: Rex
      Cops were attacked by the visiting fans outside of the stadium
      Police have now confirmed 46 men have been chargedCredit: Rex
      Uefa have reported Legia to Uefa after the shocking scenesCredit: Rex
      Now a statement from the police has confirmed: “We’ve charged 46 men over Thursday night’s violence outside Villa Park.
      “Of those, 43 have been charged with a public order offence, while two have been charged with assaulting police officers and another has been charged with possession of a knife.
      “Those charged are aged between and 21 and 63, and around 40 are believed to be from Poland. A small number are believed to be UK residents.
      “All apart from one of the men is due in court today. He has been bailed to appear at a later date.
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      “A special court has been set up at Birmingham magistrates and will begin hearing the cases this morning.”
      It continued: “We are continuing to review CCTV and body-worn video footage to identify further suspects in what was an appalling and violent public disorder.
      “It is now known five officers suffered minor injuries in the disorder.
      ASTON VILLA TROUBLE TIMELINEAccording to Villa the following timeline outlines Legia’s refusal to follow normal procedure.
      10:30am – Match Day meeting during which Legia failed to accept their ticket allocation and informed those in attendance they would not be able to confirm if they would until 2.30pm.
      2.30pm – Legia officials miss the first deadline to report back.
      3.00pm – Legia officials miss the second deadline to report back despite repeated calls to them.
      4.00pm – Legia officials finally confirm they wish to receive their ticket allocation, with a pick-up point arranged at the stadium.
      6.00pm – Villa hand over tickets to Legia to distribute among their fans.
      7.00pm – Police who have penned Legia fans into the Witton Lane car park, close to the Doug Ellis Stand they will occupy, begin to release fans.
      7.05pm – Legia Ultras orchestrate violence and try to storm through police lines to gain access for ticketless fans, four police officers are injured in the ensuing violence.
      8.00pm – The match kicks off – no Legia fans have been allowed into the away section.

      “Two of these were from West Midlands Police, two from West Mercia and one from Derbyshire. They are receiving support at this time.
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      “Two dogs from West Midlands Police and two horses from Thames Valley were injured and are recovering.”
      Det Supt Jim Munro, who is overseeing the criminal investigation, said: “Our investigation is very much continuing and we’ll be reviewing footage and speaking to witnesses over the coming days.
      “To charge this number of people so soon after such a major disorder has taken a huge effort by staff who have been working around the clock.
      “We’ve had a number of messages of thanks from the club and fans who were present on Thursday night and saw the policing operation first hand, and we are really grateful for that support.”
      Villa have reported Legia Warsaw to Uefa following the shameful scenes of violence.
      Sources close to Uefa claim the Polish side’s fans face being banned from all future away games after the shameful incident.
      The chaos lasted over 90 minutes and was described by one cop as “the worst violence I’ve experienced in 28 years.”
      Police struggled to disperse the Legia Warsaw fansCredit: PA
      Two police dogs and two horses were injured in the violence scenesCredit: Reuters
      Mounted officers joined riot police and dog handlers to try and disperse around 2,000 Legia fans who had been penned into a nearby car park prior to kick-off.
      Four cops were injured in the disorder as they were attacked with flares, bricks, metal poles and tree branches.
      After Villa secured their place in the knockouts with a 2-1 win, Assistant Chief Constable Damian Barratt said: “This was appalling and completely unacceptable disorder.
      “What we saw was 90 minutes of planned violence, with one officer saying it was the worst he had seen in 28 years of policing.
      “Our officers bravely put themselves in harm’s way and I would like to commend each and every one of them for their efforts.
      “We are committed to charging and remanding any and all responsible for attacking our officers and endangering the public.
      “We had no issues with the home fans and would like to thank them and Aston Villa for their support and kind words last night and this morning.
      “The only issues inside the ground last night were from a small number of away fans who had managed to get into home areas.
      “We will be liaising with the club and footballing authorities in the coming days to discuss last night’s appalling scenes.”
      No away fans were allowed into Villa Park for the matchCredit: Getty
      Home fans were also kept inside the stadium during half timeCredit: Reuters
      Aston Villa went on to win the match 2-1 and secure a place in the knockoutsCredit: EPA
      Villa swiftly dismissed claims by some Polish media outlets that were trying to lay blame on them for failing to provide enough tickets to Legia fans.
      And they have contacted Uefa to report the unacceptable conduct of Legia Warsaw officials ahead of the high-risk tie.
      Visiting teams to Villa Park would usually receive 5 per cent of capacity, which amounts to around 2,600 tickets for away supporters.
      However, trouble flared during Legia’s last visit to England when they lost 3-1 to Leicester City in 2021 as 20 police officers were injured that night when Polish Ultras ran riot.
      In light of that, Villa agreed a revised figure of 1700 tickets with Legia officials nearly four weeks ago, with the full approval of Uefa.
      However, when Legia fans again fought with Dutch police during their recent tie in Alkmaar, Uefa banned their fans from their next away tie against Zrinjski Mostar in Bosnia.
      At that point, the UK Safety Advisory Group – which passes safety certificates for major events – refused to sanction the full 1700 allocation and slashed it by almost 700 to 1002 tickets.
      That decision was completely out of Villa’s control and was ratified by Uefa.
      Villa claim Legia failed to convey that message to their fans immediately, which led to around 1,000 ticketless fans travelling to the UK.
      Furthermore, Villa have accused Legia of being obstructive during a Match Day meeting on the morning of the match.
      But Legia Warsaw released a statement earlier today blaming Aston Villa for the incident and claimed they did not listen to advice from them to ensure safety.
      And they also stated that the English club even escalated the already tense atmosphere by reducing the number of tickets for their fans.
      It read: “Regrettably, as a consequence of both actions and inactions by the Aston Villa F.C. club, unfavourable incidents unfolded.
      “In declining to embrace our constructive critiques and recommendations, the hosts bear full responsibility for the situation.”
      Legia also added that they are not responsible for people that have no official ties to their club, saying: “No club should bear accountability for the actions of unidentified individuals lacking match tickets.”
      At the customary meeting attended by representatives of both clubs, Uefa, broadcasters, security staff, police and emergency services, Legia stunned Villa representatives by refusing to confirm if they would accept the reduced ticket allocation.
      SunSport understands Legia representatives seemed determined to adopt and endorse their Ultras motto of: ‘Don’t leave anyone behind,’ and were reluctant to accept the reduced allocation.
      The police have confirmed that all apart from one of those arrested are due in court todayCredit: Reuters
      Uefa observers were present at the Witton Lane car park and witnessed the shocking scenes of violence which followed.
      They immediately launched an investigation into the shocking scenes but were quick to praise West Midlands Police and Villa for their handling of the explosive situation.
      It now appears certain Legia will face a lengthy ban from travelling to away fixtures after “off the scale violence,” erupted for the third time in recent away trips.
      At the height of the violence Villa raced to collect fire extinguishers from the stadium and nearby supporters hall and supplied police with them to try and douse the flames from hundreds of flares.
      At one flashpoint Legia thugs tried to overturn a police van which was blocking their route.
      Read More on The Sun
      SunSport understands some Legia fans arrived in the UK hell-bent on causing mayhem and spoiling for a fight with police or Villa fans. 
      We understand border police found Mixed Martial Arts mitts and gum shields in the luggage of some fans, who had clearly come prepared to battle. More

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      UK’s top footy cop calls for Legia Warsaw to be BANNED from Europe after officer ‘engulfed in flames’ at Aston Villa

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      THE UK’s chief of football policing has called for Legia Warsaw to be kicked out of Europe.And banned from attending ANY games in England following the disgraceful scenes which marred Thursday’s Europa Conference League tie with Aston Villa.
      Police clashed with Legia Warsaw fans during Thursday’s Europa Conference League tie with Aston VillaCredit: Rex
      One officer was set on fire by a flare during the clashesCredit: Rex
      Mark Roberts, who leads the UK’s Football Policing Unit, made it clear Legia fans are no longer welcome in this country after they injured dozens of officers while rioting at Leicester and Villa.
      Roberts warned safety certificates could be withdrawn and stadium bans imposed if Legia are drawn against an English club again after their loutish fans clashed with Dutch police and injured four West Midlands officers recently – causing burns to one.
      “It’s clear Legia have an appalling record in Europe this year and West Midlands Police were aware there might be problems,” said Roberts, who is also Chief Constable of Cheshire Police.
      “It really does put into focus whether there is a case to exclude them from the competition because they can’t keep going around Europe causing this sort of havoc.
      READ MORE ON ASTON VILLA
      “As a result of information we had from the Dutch authorities, Border force actually stopped 11 Polish fans from even coming into the country.
      “From a police perspective they are extremely difficult to manage and there comes a point when you have to ask where police and public safety outweighs the needs of the competition.
      “I spoke to Uefa on the night and we will speak again. They are urgently reviewing the situation. 
      “But I think there is a really good case for having them thrown out of the tournament.”
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      Roberts laid the blame for the pre-match carnage at Legia Warsaw for failing to deal professionally with the distribution of tickets to their fans.
      He said: “We know the club were very unhappy at the reduction in the ticket allocation but in light of subsequent events that was an entirely justified decision.”
      And he revealed Legia fans could face a national stadium ban if they are ever drawn against English clubs in future, as the all-powerful Safety Advisory Group could refuse to grant safety certificates for matches involving the Poles.
      “I think we’d have to have a look at ways we can support whatever police force has the misfortune to have to host them,” he rapped.
      “In some circumstances, we might even say we want to prevent any away fans from coming and there might be a case for the Safety Advisory Group to exclude away fans.”
      Our reporter found evidence, among the debris left following last night’s shameful scenes outside Villa Park, of the scale of Legia Ultras’ carnage.
      We found empty boxes, which had contained 50 flares and saw how Legia fans had come close to breaking down a fence as they attempted to break free from the pen they had been herded into by police.
      SunSport can also reveal British border authorities confiscated gum shields and Mixed Martial Arts boxing mitts from the luggage of some fans, who had clearly come prepared to fight. More

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      Aston Villa report Legia Warsaw to Uefa after chaos saw ‘cop engulfed in flames’ as rivals face ban for ALL away games

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      ASTON VILLA have reported Legia Warsaw to Uefa following the shameful scenes of violence which marred last night’s Europa Conference League clash.And sources close to Uefa claim the Polish side’s fans face being banned from all future away games.
      Police clashed with Legia Warsaw fans on Thursday nightCredit: Rex
      One officer was set on fire by a flareCredit: Rex
      Another officer suffered a hand injuryCredit: Rex
      A police dog and police horse were also injuredCredit: Rex
      West Midlands Police confirmed 46 Legia fans are in custody following last night’s serious disorder outside Villa Park.
      They will be charged with offences including violent disorder, assaulting police officers and possession of weapons.
      The chaos, which lasted for more than 90 minutes, was described by one police officer as “the worst violence I’ve experienced in 28 years.”
      Mounted police joined riot police and dog handlers as they battled to disperse around 2,000 Legia fans who had been penned into a nearby car park prior to kick-off.
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      Four officers were injured in the disorder, which saw them attacked with flares, bricks, metal poles and tree branches.
      A statement issued by West Midlands Police revealed: “One officer’s fluorescent jacket caught fire after they were hit with a flare.
      “Fortunately his jacket was removed quickly and he was not injured.
      “He was later taken to hospital with smoke inhalation after the smoke from the flare made it into his helmet.
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      Flares were chucked at the PoliceCredit: Reuters
      No away fans were allowed into Villa Park for the matchCredit: Getty
      “Another officer suffered a minor hand injury while a police dog and a police horse were injured in the disorder.”
      Assistant Chief Constable Damian Barratt said: “This was appalling and completely unacceptable disorder.
      “What we saw was 90 minutes of planned violence, with one officer saying it was the worst he had seen in 28 years of policing.
      “Our officers bravely put themselves in harm’s way and I would like to commend each and every one of them for their efforts.
      “We are committed to charging and remanding any and all responsible for attacking our officers and endangering the public.
      “We had no issues with the home fans and would like to thank them and Aston Villa for their support and kind words last night and this morning.
      “The only issues inside the ground last night were from a small number of away fans who had managed to get into home areas.
      “We will be liaising with the club and footballing authorities in the coming days to discuss last night’s appalling scenes.”
      Fans were kept inside the stadium during half timeCredit: Reuters
      Aston Villa won the matchCredit: EPA
      Villa have reacted swiftly to dismiss claims by some Polish media outlets, trying to lay blame on them for failing to provide enough tickets to Legia fans.
      And they have already contacted Uefa to report the unacceptable conduct of Legia Warsaw officials ahead of the high-risk tie.
      A statement from the club said: “This shocking behaviour followed Legia club officials’ complete lack of cooperation with West Midlands Police, Aston Villa and UEFA throughout the day.
      “It started during the standard pre-match operational meeting that commenced at 10.30am on Thursday morning and was attended by UEFA representatives, including UEFA’s security team, as well as West Midlands Police including representatives from both clubs.
      “Legia Warsaw refused to confirm if they would accept their allocation of tickets for the match at that point. This is in stark contrast to normal UEFA operational procedures.
      “They advised the meeting that they would meet with their supporters at 2.30pm and communicate the decision at 3pm but advised there was a possibility that they would not accept the tickets.
      “Despite repeated requests before and after the 3pm deadline for a decision, there was no communication until 4pm when Legia informed Aston Villa that they wished to receive their ticket allocation.
      “These tickets were handed to Legia officials immediately upon their arrival at the stadium at 6.16pm.
      “To reiterate, Legia officials were advised on a call that included a number of UEFA representatives on November 2 that they would receive an allocation of 1002 – exactly four weeks prior to last night’s fixture.”
      Visiting teams to Villa Park would usually receive 5% of capacity which amounts to 2,600 tickets for away supporters.
      However, trouble flared during Legia’s last visit to England when they lost 3-1 to Leicester City two years ago and 20 police officers were injured that night as Polish Ultras ran riot.
      In light of those disturbances, Villa agreed a revised figure of 1700 tickets with Legia officials nearly four weeks ago, with the full approval of Uefa.
      ASTON VILLA’S TIMELINEAccording to Villa the following timeline outlines Legia’s refusal to follow normal procedure.
      10:30am – Match Day meeting during which Legia failed to accept their ticket allocation and informed those in attendance they would not be able to confirm if they would until 2.30pm.
      2.30pm – Legia officials miss the first deadline to report back.
      3.00pm – Legia officials miss the second deadline to report back despite repeated calls to them.
      4.00pm – Legia officials finally confirm they wish to receive their ticket allocation, with a pick-up point arranged at the stadium.
      6.00pm – Villa hand over tickets to Legia to distribute among their fans.
      7.00pm – Police who have penned Legia fans into the Witton Lane car park, close to the Doug Ellis Stand they will occupy, begin to release fans.
      7.05pm – Legia Ultras orchestrate violence and try to storm through police lines to gain access for ticketless fans, four police officers are injured in the ensuing violence.
      8.00pm – The match kicks off – no Legia fans have been allowed into the away section.

      However, when Legia fans again fought with Dutch police during their recent tie in Alkmaar, Uefa banned their fans from their next away tie against Zrinjski Mostar in Bosnia.
      At that point, the UK Safety Advisory Group – which passes safety certificates for major events – refused to sanction the full 1700 allocation and slashed it by almost 700 to 1002 tickets.
      That decision was completely out of Villa’s control and was ratified by Uefa.
      Villa claim Legia failed to convey that message to their fans immediately, which led to around 1,000 ticketless fans travelling to the UK.
      Furthermore, Villa have accused Legia of being obstructive during a Match Day meeting on the morning of the match.
      At the customary meeting attended by representatives of both clubs, Uefa, broadcasters, security staff, police and emergency services, Legia stunned Villa representatives by refusing to confirm if they would accept the reduced ticket allocation.
      SunSport understands Legia representatives seemed determined to adopt and endorse their Ultras motto of: ‘Don’t leave anyone behind,’ and were reluctant to accept the reduced allocation.
      Uefa observers were present at the Witton Lane car park and witnessed the shocking scenes of violence which followed.
      They immediately launched an investigation into the shocking scenes but were quick to praise West Midlands Police and Villa for their handling of the explosive situation.
      It now appears certain Legia will face a lengthy ban from travelling to away fixtures after “off the scale violence,” erupted for the third time in recent away trips.
      At the height of the violence Villa raced to collect fire extinguishers from the stadium and nearby supporters hall and supplied police with them to try and douse the flames from hundreds of flares.
      At one flashpoint Legia thugs tried to overturn a police van which was blocking their route.

      SunSport understands some Legia fans arrived in the UK hell-bent on causing mayhem and spoiling for a fight with police or Villa fans. 
      We understand border police found Mixed Martial Arts mitts and gum shields in the luggage of some fans, who had clearly come prepared to battle. More

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      Aston Villa 2 Legia 1: Diaby and Moreno send Villa into knockouts but Conference League clash soured by fan violence

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      ASTON VILLA are through to the knockout rounds of the Conference League after beating Legia Warsaw 2-1.But the match was marred by pre-match crowd trouble as Polish fans clashed with police.
      Moussa Diaby opened the scoring with a brilliant finishCredit: PA
      Alex Moreno netted the winnerCredit: Getty
      Police clashed with Legia Warszawa fans outside Villa ParkCredit: Getty
      Police battled the fans as flares were lit by the travelling supportCredit: Reuters
      Legia fans were banned from entering the stadium due to the troubleCredit: Reuters
      Villa stormed ahead after four minutes – Youri Tielemans sent Moussa Diaby sprinting clear and the striker cut inside and fired into the net.
      Legia equalised when Ernest Muci pounced on a blunder by Boubacar Kamara and curled a sensational shot beyond Robin Olsen.
      Alex Moreno restored Villa’s lead when he got on the end of a Douglas Luiz free kick to fire beyond Tobiasz.
      Sub Leon Bailey almost made it three with a lob that came back off the line.
      READ MORE ASTON VILLA NEWS
      Villa need just a point from their final game at Zrinjski Mostar to top the group. 
      On the violence, riot police fought with hordes of missile-throwing Polish thugs who tried to storm Villa Park pre-match.
      Ticketless Legia fans went on the rampage as three cops were injured and objects were hurled at home fans in the Holte End from OUTSIDE the stadium.
      Legia fans were furious after they had their ticket allocation cut from 1,700 to 1,002 after violent clashes between Warsaw fans and Dutch police in Alkmaar.
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      But almost 1,000 ticketless Polish fans tried to gatecrash the Villa Park turnstiles as NO away supporters were allowed in.
      A Villa statement read: “An hour before kick-off, Legia fans engaged in planned and systematic violent acts against West Midlands Police officers. A decision was then made to exclude all Legia supporters.”
      Some Legia fans did get into the home end only to be ejected by stewards.
      Aston Villa were the better side against Legia More

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      Police officer set on FIRE and three more injured in violent clashes with Polish yob fans before Aston Villa game

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      A POLICE officer was set on FIRE in violent clashes with Polish football yobs.Legia Warsaw fans went on the rampage just minutes before Aston Villa’s 2-1 Europa Conference League win on Thursday night.
      Legia Warsaw fans rioted with police as three officers were injuredCredit: Reuters
      Police battled the fans as flares were lit by the travelling supportCredit: Reuters
      It was a chaotic scene outside Villa ParkCredit: Reuters
      Legia supporters were furious they could not enter the groundCredit: PA
      Four police officers were injured in the violenceCredit: PA
      One cop was set on fire by a flare and taken to hospitalCredit: Getty
      The away section of Villa Park was completely empty as Legia fans were denied entryCredit: Reuters
      It made for a bizarre atmosphere inside the stadiumCredit: Reuters
      Police in riot gear met fans and kettled them into a car park near the stadium but could not prevent trouble breaking out before kick-off.
      Four cops were injured – as well as two police horses and two dogs – as Legia fans hurled missiles at an army of police.
      One officer, who was hit by a flare, was taken to hospital after suffering burns.
      Police later confirmed than none of the injuries were serious.
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      Legia followers were furious after they had their ticket allocation cut from 1,700 to 1,002 after violent clashes between Warsaw fans and Dutch police in Alkmaar.
      Almost 1,000 ticketless Polish fans tried to gatecrash the turnstiles as NO away supporters were allowed in.
      West Midlands Police mounted a huge security operation but violent scenes broke out when police began to move those Legia fans who did have tickets from their compound to march them to the stadium.
      As a result, the match kicked off with the entire away section empty.
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      Birmingham Police issued a statement on X to confirm: “We’re currently unable to allow away fans into Villa Park following disorder outside the stadium which has seen missiles thrown at officers.
      “Three officers have already been injured and a significant police operation continues. Please avoid Witton Lane where possible.”
      A later statement from West Midlands police confirmed 39 people had been arrested on suspicion of offences including violent disorder and assaulting a police officer.
      They slammed the “disgusting and highly dangerous scenes”.
      A statement from Villa added: “Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that no away fans were allowed into Villa Park for this evening’s UEFA Europa Conference League fixture with Legia Warsaw on the advice of West Midlands Police following large-scale disorder outside the stadium caused by visiting supporters.”
      It continued: “In spite of numerous requests for cooperation from Legia Warsaw concerning their travelling supporters, especially in the last two days, no assistance on the serious safety matter of away fans attending Villa Park was forthcoming from the visiting club.
      Legia had their ticket allocation cut following violence with Dutch police last monthCredit: PA
      The police endured a horrid night in the MidlandsCredit: Reuters
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      “The club has repeatedly, including this morning, raised concerns in conjunction with UEFA and all the relevant authorities to Legia that ticketless away supporters were attempting to attend Villa Park.
      “Approximately an hour before kick-off, Legia fans engaged in planned and systematic violent acts against West Midlands Police officers and a decision was then made by West Midlands Police to exclude all Legia supporters.
      “Aston Villa strongly condemns the behaviour of those visiting supporters and would like to thank West Midlands Police for their professionalism in very difficult circumstances.”
      A statement released by Legia incredibly blamed Villa for “exacerbating the situation”.
      They wrote: “Instead of diffusing potential pre-match tensions, restrictive measures of Aston Villa FC as the host club needlessly exacerbate the atmosphere. In our view, such measures are counterproductive and unfounded.”
      Legia boss Kosta Runjaic added: “For sure we have great fans. They support us at home and away.
      “They are travelling with us and we can always rely on them and count on them. 
      “So far, since I’ve been at Legia I’ve had a massively nice and good experience with our fans. 
      “It would have been good for sure. (to have fans present) 
      “But as I said, I don’t know the content of all the happenings – I dont know the details.
      “So that’s why it is better I do not speak about it.
      “Unfortunately our fans weren’t in the stadium – and the atmosphere in general would have been much better if they were.
      Plans had already been put in place with both teams using different stadium entrances to the ones normally used to protect the safety of the players.
      And no away fans at all were able to enter the stadium as police continued to battle to restore control of the rioting Polish supporters.
      Footage on social media appeared to show missiles being lobbed at Villa fans from outside the stadium.
      While some Polish fans were ejected from the home end by stewards.
      On the field, it did not take long for Villa to go in front as Moussa Diaby tucked home the opener after just four minutes.
      Read More on The Sun
      Ernest Muci levelled things up for the visitor’s midway through the first half, before Alex Moreno put Villa 2-1 in front 13 minutes into the second period.
      And that’s how it stayed as Unai Emery’s men moved three points clear at the top of their group. More

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      Aberdeen’s Conference League clash SUSPENDED due to heavy snow after fans were told off throwing SNOWBALLS at goalkeeper

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      ABERDEEN’S Europa Conference League clash with Finnish side HJK Helsinki was SUSPENDED due to bad weather… after the travelling Scottish fans had been warned for throwing SNOWBALLS at the opposition keeper.The Scottish Premiership side travelled to Finland without a win in five matches in this season’s competition, having already been eliminated in the group stage.
      The match was temporarily halted when Aberdeen fans threw snowballs at the Helsinki keeperCredit: X
      The match was then suspended due to bad weather, before the players came back outCredit: EPA
      A snow plough came on to sort out the icy pitchCredit: EPA
      HJK vs Aberdeen takes an unexpected turn as the referee orders everyone off the pitch so a giant version of Robot Wars On Ice can begin. OH MY GOD THSTS CHAOS 2’S ENTRANCE MUSIC pic.twitter.com/4sYqchsdeD— JJ Bull (@jj_bull) November 30, 2023

      Helsinki were winning 2-1 in the second half when supporters behind the goal began hurling snowballs at Helsinki keeper Niki Maenpaa.
      A message over the tannoy urged them to stop, insisting the match could be abandoned if they continued.
      Aberdeen went on to equalise 11 minutes into the second half.
      But the players were then taken off the pitch due to the extreme weather conditions.
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      Fans inside the stadium were made to wait for around 10 minutes as a snow plough came on to improve the situation on the pitch.
      The players then returned to the field to complete the game as snow continued to fall in the Finnish capital.
      And the conditions remained horrific until the very end as the two teams tried to see through the gusts of snow.
      Helsinki, who had also already been eliminated from the Europa Conference League, took the lead through Boureima Hassane Bande in the 16th minute.
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      And Santeri Hostikka doubled the hosts’ lead shortly after the half hour mark.
      Angus MacDonald pulled one back for Aberdeen four minutes before the break.
      And the Scots’ forward Duk levelled things up in the second period.
      Along with their European exit, Aberdeen are also struggling domestically.
      They sit 10th in the Scottish top flight with just three wins from their opening 12 league games. More

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      European giants CANCEL Goal of the Month competition and sack boss as ruthless fans call it ‘the Chelsea special’

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      BASEL have cancelled their Goal of the Month awards as the team has failed to hit the back of the net throughout the entirety of October.The Swiss giants have been enduring a disastrous season that has seen them drop to the bottom of the Swiss Super League table.
      Basel had to cancel their Goal of the Month awards amid a disastrous seasonCredit: 2023 UEFA
      The once Champions League regulars have only won one out of 11 league matches and have lost a staggering eight long the way.
      To make matters worse, the 20-time Swiss champions haven’t scored a single goal this entire month.
      Last season’s Europa Conference League semi-finalists have instead conceded a whopping 10 across their four matches this month.
      Basel tweeted: “No goals in October = No goal of the month.”
      Read More on Football
      That tweet sparked some intense reaction from the club’s fans but there were also some rival supporters who found the opportunity to poke some fun.
      In fact, some of them even saw similarities with Chelsea’s turbulent season.
      The Blues are still languishing in 11th place in the Premier League table.
      And the West Londoners almost went the entirety of September without a goal until their 1-0 win over Brighton in the Carabao Cup just four days before October began.
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      One fan tweeted: “The Chelsea special.”
      Another commented: “Sometimes you want to be San Marino.”
      A third posted: “Feels bad.”
      This fan wrote: “Could run Goal of the Month with goals from the youth and women’s teams.”
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      And that one stated: “What a shame. The saddest tweet I have ever seen.”
      Basel are trying to shake things up by hiring their third manager of the season with Fabio Celestini replacing Heiko Vogel.
      Vogel was on his third stint in the dugout after replacing Timo Schultz last month.
      Basel announced: “Due to the worsening sporting crisis in the first team, FC Basel 1893 has decided to part ways with head coach Heiko Vogel.
      “With a contract until the end of the season, Fabio Celestini will take over management of the team immediately. He is assisted by the existing coaching staff.” More

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      AZ Alkmaar 1 Aston Villa 4: Unai Emery’s side run riot in Netherlands as Villans continue impressive start to season

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      ASTON VILLA returned to the Netherlands for the first time since their famous European Cup win in Rotterdam in 1982.And they pulled off a performance Peter Withe, Nigel Spink and Co would have been proud of.
      Aston Villa’s goal machine went into overdrive againCredit: EPA
      Leon Bailey started the party against AZ Alkmaar with his low drive on 13 minutesCredit: Getty

      Forty-one years on from their greatest glory night, Unai Emery’s men finally got their act together in Europe this season.
      The Premier League high-flyers produced a display which will have convinced their 950 travelling fans this could be their year again.
      It may be Europe’s third-tier competition, but Villa were a class above the Eredivisie’s second-top team who remain unbeaten domestically.
      They gave Alkmaar a lesson in finishing – scoring four goals from their first five shots at goal.
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      Yet this tie got off to an extraordinary start as Villa goalie Emi Martinez played cat and mouse with Alkmaar’s forwards.
      The Argentine World Cup winner stood defiantly, ball at his feet, yards outside his box, daring dangerman Vangelis Pavlidis, Ibrahim Sadiq and Myron van Brederode to come and get it.
      They refused and the Mexican stand-off continued for fully 90 seconds to the fury of home fans, before Pavlidis eventually crept forward and Martinez easily played around him. 
      That patient approach would have delighted boss Emery who had even more to smile about when Villa seized an early lead after 13 minutes.
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      Leon Bailey initially cursed himself for squandering a good opening after Boubacar Kamara picked him out at the edge of the box.
      On that occasion, a poor first touch allowed Riechedly Bazoer to recover and dispossess him.
      But the Jamaican forward swiftly made amends as he fired Villa in front seconds later.
      Kamara swept the ball forward and despite it bouncing awkwardly, Bailey tamed it and lashed it beyond Mat Ryan from just inside the box.
      It was the forward’s sixth goal of the season, his third in Europe and it gave Villa the confidence to seize this game by the scruff of the neck.
      Alkmaar had pinned their hopes on their Greek international striker Pavlidis who had scored 13 goals in nine games, including a hat-trick at the weekend.
      However, the 24-year-old squandered his first big opening when he beat Lucas Digne and Diego Carlos, only to shoot straight at Martinez.
      Emiliano Martinez teased the home side with his tacticsCredit: Getty
      Youri Tielemans buried his first goal since joining from LeicesterCredit: Getty
      Ollie Watkins could not miss his tap-inCredit: Rex
      Villa kindly showed him how it should be done as they doubled their lead midway through the half.
      Captain John McGinn pounced on a loose pass from Sven Mijnans and delivered a sublime pass to Youri Tielemans.
      The Belgian calmly drilled the ball between Ryan’s legs to celebrate his first goal for Villa since his summer move from Leicester City.
      It was all so easy but Villa briefly decided to live dangerously when Kamara was robbed at the edge of the box but again Pavlidis squandered the chance as he fired over.
      The Greek did have the ball in the net after 32 minutes but he was flagged offside after straying just too far forward to get on the end of Van Brederode’s cross.
      Villa moved through the gears after the break, adding a third when Bailey’s shot was palmed out by Ryan, leaving in-form Ollie Watkins with a simple tap-in for his sixth goal in six games for club and country.
      Then McGinn capped a brilliant performance, bursting into the Alkmaar six-yard box to stab Bailey’s low cross beyond Ryan.
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      That deadly finish clocked up Villa’s 16th goal in five games.
      The only disappointment for perfectionist Emery came when Alkmaar grabbed a consolation goal when Sadiq beat Martinez with a sensational strike from the edge of the box.

      Ollie Watkins took in the adulation of the travelling fansCredit: Getty
      John McGinn got in on the act with No4Credit: Getty
      A hardy 950 fans made the trip to the NetherlandsCredit: Getty More