Six Arrested at Birmingham Airport Following Fan Violence

Overview of the Incident

A disturbance involving Young Boys supporters at Villa Park during a Europa League match has led to the arrest of six men at Birmingham Airport. This increase in arrests brings the total number of detained individuals to eight, following two earlier arrests during Aston Villa’s 2-1 triumph on Thursday evening.

Details of Arrests

West Midlands Police reported that multiple officers faced assaults from the fans of the Swiss team, with objects, including broken seats and coins, being thrown at both police and Aston Villa players. Notably, Dutch forward Donyell Malen was hit on the head during the chaos.

Initial Arrests

On Friday morning, law enforcement announced that two away fans were taken into custody on charges of affray and for assaulting a police officer.

Subsequent Arrests

The West Midlands Police later confirmed, “An additional six individuals were apprehended today at Birmingham Airport on suspicion of police assault and violent disorder.”

Superintendent Paul Minor commented, stating, “While the majority of attendees were in good spirits, a small group of visiting fans engaged in violence and disrupted the match.”

Ongoing Investigation

An inquiry has been initiated, with officers currently reviewing body camera footage and CCTV from the stadium related to the disturbance.

Related News

• Young Boys manager Gerardo Seoane expresses regret over fan violence at Aston Villa.
• Fan misbehavior overshadows Aston Villa’s victory against Young Boys.
• Injury updates for Premier League players: Will Cole Palmer, Antoine Semenyo, and Florian Wirtz be available?

Context of Violence

The confrontations occurred in the lower section of the Doug Ellis Stand when Villa took the lead, prompting a significant deployment of police in riot gear.

Young Boys previously faced financial penalties for fan-related issues, including a fine of 28,250 euros (£24,729, $32,766) related to similar disturbances involving their supporters at Manchester City two years ago, as well as a 18,000 euro (£15,756, $20,880) fine for the use of pyrotechnics at Celtic in February.