England and Netherlands fans were brawling before the 2024 European Championship semi-final ever got underway… with supporters brawling on the streets of Germany before the big match!
Ahead of Wednesday’s match, several videos of Dutch and English fans getting into an argument spread on social media. In one video, fans are seen bumping, throwing chairs and bottles at each other outside a bar and restaurant.
All this happens in the city of Dortmund – not far from the Dutch border. It is estimated that around 80,000 Dutch fans descended on the city to support their team, with British police saying groups of “risk fans” are among the fans looking to cause trouble.
Police responded to at least one of the fights… breaking up the fistfights and even taking some Dutch fans into custody.
A nearby restaurant paid the price for the fans’ bad behavior. A local eatery told The Daily Mail that the business had suffered extensive damage and would have to close its doors for the rest of the day.
There were also injuries – at least a handful that appear to have been sustained during the fighting.
British police are urging English fans to be aware of their surroundings and look for areas where German police are present.
The game is currently underway… and so far everything has been uneventful. But there’s still a lot of time…