Republished from TMCNet. Police have detained 17 people including the alleged ringleader of a riot at a soccer match between Serbia and Italy, and UEFA warned that sanctions may include disqualification from the European Championship or exclusion from future competitions. The match in Genoa was called off after seven minutes when Serbia fans threw flares and fireworks onto the field, burned a flag and broke barriers. Violent clashes continued through the night, and sixteen people, including two policemen, were injured. UEFA has opened an investigation into the events and its disciplinary panel will hear the case on Oct. 28.
Police found the alleged instigator of the riot in the trunk of a bus that was due to take the Serbian fans home from the European Championships qualifier. While his face was covered by a mask during the violence, police identified him by his tattooed arms and found explosives material with him. Of the 17 people detained, 16 are Serbian fans and one is Italian, Genoa police official Sebastiano Salvo. Salvo identified the ringleader as 30–year–old Ivan Bogdanov, who climbed onto a barrier separating fans from the field, used a wire cutter to slice apart a mesh fence and launched fireworks onto the field. Bogdanov didn't say anything when he was arrested and is being held in a Genoa jail under accusations of causing violence and damage and resisting arrest, Salvo said, adding that 600 pieces of fireworks and explosives were found in four bags inside the bus holding Serbian fans.
To read the full article, written by the Associated Press, please click on the title link, "Police detain 17 after Serbia-Italy soccer riot".
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