Brighton fans attacked in Rome ahead of Europa League clash

Two Brighton and Hove Albion fans have reportedly been stabbed, beaten and robbed in Rome ahead of the club’s Europa League round-of-16 clash on Thursday.

The victims, two men who are reportedly 27 and 28 years old and believed to be British, were attacked in the street by “six or seven people wearing masks” just after midnight on Wednesday evening, a local police spokesman said.

They were taken to a local hospital with stab wounds, reportedly in their legs, after police officers arrived at a restaurant in Rome, responding to reports of fighting by a waiter.

The pair are also understood to have been robbed of their bags containing their wallets and documents inside, with the alleged assailants said to have fled the scene before police arrived.

Local police are investigating the case.

PC Darren Balkham, the Sussex police liaison to Brighton fans, said on X: “We are aware of the incident reported in Italian media last night. Have spoken to both Brighton fans who are ok. We reiterate the advice of the club published on the pre match info.”

Brighton and Hove Albion warned its supporters who were travelling to the Italian capital for the Europa League knock-out tie against AS Roma to be wary of “street crime, including pick pocketing”.

The club advised fans to “be vigilant, take precautions and take out valid travel insurance”, and “avoid going around the city showing flags and colours of the club.”

According to Italian media there are thousands of Brighton fans in the country’s capital, with the club saying it had sold out of tickets for the round-of-16 first leg, meaning almost 3,500 of its supporters are expected to be in attendance at Stadio Olimpico.

Italian news service Agenzia Nova said the two men were attacked in Via Cavour, a street and area near the Rome’s train terminal and the Colosseum, with employees of some nearby restaurants witnessing the attack.

A Brighton fan who appears to be one of the victims said on the club’s North Stand Chat fan forum that he had been “stuck in a hospital corridor for six hours” waiting to be treated but that he was not badly hurt and hoped to make it to the match on Thursday evening.

This is a breaking news story and is being updated.