Manchester United and Roma have historical past…
The rivalry between the 2 dates again to their first assembly within the quarter-final of the Champions League in April 2007. It was an evening that become chaos.
Violence broke out within the Italian metropolis, with Italian riot police broadly criticised for wading into English followers. It got here after United followers reacted to being pelted with missiles by Roma supporters.
Quite a lot of United followers have been hospitalised, together with 10 who have been stabbed after being ambushed exterior the Stadio Olimpico earlier than kick-off.
Roma have been fined £31,000 – twice as a lot as United – and The Impartial Manchester United Supporters’ Affiliation pursued authorized motion in opposition to the Italian police for years afterwards. United went on to win the return leg 7-1, with police making 18 arrests after followers clashed exterior Outdated Trafford.
However the historical past of violence does not cease there.
The 2 groups met within the quarter-finals but once more the next season on their approach to successful the Champions League in 2008, having additionally performed one another within the group stage – when bother flared in Rome and three followers have been stabbed.
There are hopes that such clashes is not going to come to fruitition tonight resulting from police preparation in Manchester.
