German fans arrested in Rome ahead of Lazio-Frankfurt match

Five German football fans were arrested during clashes with Italian police ahead of a Europe League match between Lazio and Eintracht Frankfurt.

The disturbance occurred when roughly 200 Frankfurt supporters on Thursday tried to break through the security fence installed by the authorities outside Olimpico stadium so they would not come into contact with Lazio fans, reports Efe news.

It was a very tense situation, with the Frankfurt fans running around and throwing firecrackers, while the police responded with a water cannon.

One of the fans was slightly injured during the confrontation.

Previously, the same group of hooligans had gone to nearby People's Square, which they littered with bottles, papers and other waste.

Rome authorities had taken strong security measures before the arrival of the approximately 9,000 Frankfurt fans, setting up additional security at certain city monuments to avoid acts of vandalism like those committed by fans of Dutch club Feyenoord in 2015.

(With inputs from agencies.)