City ‘on fire’ as fans hurl flares and battle cops before Champions League clash

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    Napoli and Eintracht Frankfurt fans have been battling with police in violent scenes from the centre of Naples.

    The two sides are set to meet at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday night in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie. However, ahead of the match, footage has emerged of supporters clashing in the city centre, with objects and flares being thrown as police attempt to handle the situation.

    Tancredi Palmeri reported that Frankfurt fans had been joined in the city by hooligans from Atalanta, with the two clubs having a long-running friendly relationship.

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    The violence comes despite local government in Naples banning Frankfurt residents from buying tickets for the match following the violent scenes before the first leg a month ago.

    Palmeri wrote on Twitter: "Shocking scenes currently ongoing in Naples: Guerrilla in downtown, a squad of 20 policemen risking their life, as Eintracht and Atalanta hooligans allied are setting the city on fire. Naples is currently hostage to 300 hooligans."

    His report accompanied a video of the scenes, which also showed fans fighting on the streets, with Gary Lineker amongst those to react on social media as he replied: "Awful."

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    It is not the first time that fans from either club have made headlines in the last year, with Napoli ultras taunting Liverpool fans on Merseyside back in November.

    Ahead of their group stage meeting at Anfield, the travelling Italian supporters were seen marching through the city in large groups wearing masks.

    As for Frankfurt, their fans attacked a group of West Ham supporters in Germany last season in ugly scenes before their Europa League semi-final second leg.

    Napoli go into Wednesday's second leg with a 2-0 lead from the reverse match in Frankfurt in February, with goals from Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo either side of a Randal Kolo Muani powering them to victory.

    The winner of the tie will book their place in Friday's quarter-final draw, with Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Benfica already through to the last eight.

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    • Champions League
    • Napoli FC

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