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Football fans attack Swedish police in 'violent riot'

The Local Sweden
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Football fans attack Swedish police in 'violent riot'
File photo of a police car. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

More than two dozen football supporters attacked police after a home game in Norrköping.

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IFK Norrköping's match against Jönköping on Thursday had just ended (3-0) when an attempt by security guards to carry out an identity check of two people at the home section led to a confrontation between police and one person, regional newspaper Norrköpings Tidningar reports.

“Around 25 and 30 people then went to joint attack on security staff and colleagues,” police control room officer Torbjörn Lindqvist told the newspaper.

Police then focused on getting the group to leave the stadium rather than on arresting anyone and in the commotion officers were unable to identify the rioters. It is understood there were no injuries.

“Together the police managed to protect themselves and at the time of writing no one is said to be injured, neither anyone from our team nor the public,” said Lindqvist on Thursday evening.

Police have filed the incident as “violent riot”, reports the TT news agency.

Several instances of disturbances at football games have been reported in the past year in Sweden. In August, a match between Jönköpings Södra and Östersund was called off when a masked supporter ran onto the pitch and assaulted Östersund goalkeeper Aly Keita.

Two months prior, a fixture between IFK Göteborg and Malmö FF was abandoned after a supporter threw a firework at Malmö player Tobias Sana, who responded by throwing one of the corner flags in the direction of the person.

It is not uncommon to see hooligan firms in the standing sections of Sweden's football grounds covering their faces with balaclavas or masks while using flares and fireworks. Sweden has attempted to crack down on violent behaviour at games by banning masks at football stadiums.

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