Natural Sound XFA An English football fan is in hospital in Denmark after being stabbed during running battles between Galatasaray and Arsenal fans on the streets of Copenhagen. The injured man, who was knifed in the back outside a bar in the Danish capital, was in a comfortable condition in the city's Central Hospital. His injury is reported not to be life-threatening. The violence flared less than 24 hours before the two clubs meet in the UEFA Cup final. Danish police said seven people were injured in the trouble, four English and three Turkish, but all - apart from the stab victim - suffered minor injuries during scuffles. Eight men were arrested - four Britons and four Turks - after a series of clashes, mainly outside bars near the Raadhuspladsen, or City Hall Square. The violence erupted just after midnight, when dozens of Turkish fans attacked the Absalom, a disco bar, in which fans of the north London club had been spending much of the evening. Police in riot gear moved in quickly and the mob began running around the square, approaching another bar, called the Scottish Pub, where one fan hurled a glass at its doors. There followed a further attack on the Absalom, and with the situation still unresolved, a gang of 40 Arsenal fans advanced towards their Turkish rivals and a confrontation quickly broke out. The fans chased each other across the centre of the square and an attack broke out on a bar and restaurant called Rosie McGee's. Bottles, glasses and bicycles flew through the night air as the battle raged. Again police were quickly on the scene, and officers in full riot gear interposed themselves between the warring factions and officers with dogs finally brought the fighting to an end. When a lull developed in the fighting the stab victim received extensive treatment on the road in a main thoroughfare leading off the square. Concerned Arsenal fans knelt on the ground around him, using their shirts to staunch the flow of blood, before an ambulance eventually came to take him to hospital. The violence came just a month after two Leeds United fans were stabbed to death in Istanbul on the eve of the first-leg of the semi-final with Galatasaray. Football fans weren't they only ones who bore the brunt of the violence. The commander of the police operation was injured during the trouble when he was hit on the head by a bottle. He received treatment and returned to the scene, but had to leave again when the wound opened up once more. His replacement later confirmed the stabbing of the English fan but reassured the media that his force was in control of the situation. SOUNDBITE: (English) "A small group started fighting. We can't say why" Q: Were their any weapons used? A: "No. Well in one of the last injuries I think a person was stuck with a knife. Q How severely? A: "I don't know" Q: Is the Copenhagen police in control of the situation? A"The Copenhagen police think they are in control of the situation right now, yes. Q: What about tomorrow? A" And tomorrow is tomorrow" SUPER CAPTION: Danish Police Commander at the scene Wednesday's match has been classified as high risk by football officials, because of fears of revenge attacks for the Istanbul murders of the Leeds fans. About two-thousand officers - 20 per cent of Denmark's total police force - are taking part in country's largest football security operation ever. Galatasaray players are escorted by unarmed members of Turkey's anti-terrorist squad, while bomb-sniffing dogs have searched the players' hotels and the stadium. By Tuesday night, more than 11-thousand Turkish fans and several dozen Arsenal supporters had arrived in Copenhagen. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9d8cc34cc79125caa9f6733c5864f38a Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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