Two Brighton fans attacked before Roma Europa League game

Two Brighton fans were attacked Wednesday night in Italy ahead of the club’s Europa League matchup with Roma on Thursday. The Premier League side previously qualified for European competition for the first time in their history. Not only did they manage to grab a place in the Europa League, but they topped their group earlier this past fall. This was an impressive feat considering Group B in the secondary European competition included top teams like Ajax and Marseille.

The BBC reports that around 3,500 Brighton supporters traveled to the Italian capital to catch the upcoming match. Roma will host the English side on Thursday, March 7th and then the two teams are set to face off back on the South Coast exactly a week later.

According to a fan in the area, the two Brighton fans were swarmed by about six people wearing balaclavas. The duo was subsequently stabbed by the assailants and then taken to the hospital. Both Brighton fans are thought to be recuperating after suffering non-life-threatening injuries.

Attack on Brighton fans latest issue among fans in Europa League

Along with the two stabbings, another fan was kicked and punched in the incident. The third fan, Joey Thorpe, explained the situation to the media outlet.

“We were walking home from a bar and being casual, not chanting, and in normal clothes,” stated Thorpe. “We just got jumped from behind by about six guys all in balaclavas, all wearing black and hiding their faces.”

“I got hit in the back of the head a couple of times and then I fell to the floor. They were just kicking me and punching me on the floor. I got back to the hotel, luckily because my injuries weren’t awful, and I found out that two of my friends got stabbed.”

“You shouldn’t go to a football game, and this happens,” continued the Brighton supporter. “I was really excited about the game and to spend it in a nice city, but I’m very apprehensive and nervous now. It’s shook us up a little bit.”

Hooliganism in soccer has become increasingly more of an issue in recent years. Italian ultras have unfortunately garnered a bad reputation for partaking in violent attacks. Previous reports have claimed that essentially every club in the country has these groups of extremists. Several of the top teams have multiple ultra organizations.

The problem, however, is not solely in Italy. A report released in September claimed that arrests during matches in England and Wales reached a nine-year high. The study showed that there were nearly 700 total bans given to fans throughout the 2022/23 campaign. This was a 32% rise compared to the previous season.

Brighton boss says he will return to manage in Italy someday

Brighton’s trip to Rome also means that the club’s manager, Roberto De Zerbi, will return to his home country temporarily. While the manager is set to only stay in Italy for the match, he recently proclaimed that he will one day return to the nation to manage a Serie A club.

“I do what makes me happy and right now I am happy where I am,” stated De Zerbi. “It makes me happy when we win but also when we lose. One day I will return to Italy, but I don’t know when that day will come.”

De Zerbi is currently one of the most highly rated young soccer coaches in all of Europe. Although he may be happy at Brighton now, he will certainly be targeted by big clubs come summer. Whether an Italian team comes calling just yet remains to be seen.

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