Tom Ewart Smith
POLICE in Spain have praised the success of an enormous security operation after only eight arrests were made during the Europa League final in Bilbao, despite the arrival of more than 60,000 British football fans.
The streets of the Basque capital were packed with travelling supporters from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur ahead of Wednesday’s match, which saw Spurs clinch a 1-0 win to end their 17-year trophy drought.
Authorities say serious disorder was largely avoided thanks to one of the biggest policing deployments the city has ever seen.
READ MORE: WATCH: Manchester United and Spurs hooligans clash in Spain ahead of Europa League final
“We have made seven arrests linked to incidents arising from the Europa League final,” a spokesman for the regional Basque police force, the Ertzaintza, initially told reporters.
“All are foreigners but I can’t confirm if they are all British. The arrests were for fighting, criminal damage, disobedience and assaulting a police officer.”
Later, El Correo confirmed the total number of arrests had risen to eight, with most involving British fans.
Incidents included fights between rival supporters on the streets of Bilbao and San Sebastian, including one altercation caught on video that ended with police pinning a Brit to the ground and leading him away in handcuffs.
Several British fans also fell victim to crime. At least three expensive designer watches – worth £42,000, £33,000 and £21,000 – were stolen during the celebrations, according to local reports.
Police recovered the second-most expensive watch shortly after arresting the alleged thief.
However, police and local officials stressed the overwhelming majority of fans were well-behaved, and insisted the event had been a success in terms of safety and public order.
A staggering 1,500 Ertzaintza officers were deployed across Bilbao, alongside hundreds of local police and 500 private security guards – five times the usual number for a domestic Athletic Bilbao match.
Helicopters, maritime units and rescue teams were all on standby.
Security zones were set up around San Mames stadium, with checkpoints to prevent the mingling of rival fans and stop potentially harmful objects being thrown.
“A lot of police and few incidents in the Europa League final,” El Correo summarised, adding: “Authorities maintained that the main objective – ensuring general public safety in Bilbao and preventing serious clashes between fans – had been achieved, despite what they described as ‘unavoidable’ incidents given the arrival of tens of thousands of visitors and free-flowing alcohol.”
