ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Police in Rotterdam detained 42 suspects before and after the highly charged Europa League match between Feyenoord and AS Roma, and fans throwing objects onto the pitch forced a temporary halt to the second half.
Police said in a statement early Friday they were "satisfied with a busy day" Thursday spent preventing fights between rival fans amid fears of revenge attacks by Roma supporters for a riot in Rome a week earlier by Feyenoord hooligans.
Feyenoord officials were far from satisfied after fans pelted the pitch with objects such as cigarette lighters and threw an inflatable banana toward the field during the match which Roma won 2-1.
Coach Fred Rutten says "Those sorts of things only hurt Feyenoord. It’s a shame it happened."