Rioting football fans injure stadium staff ahead of friendly match in Linz

During the rush "stieß ein 29-jähriger Fußballfan aus Wien einen Mitarbeiter des Stadions, der ihm beim Absperrgitter im Weg stand, beiseite". "Der Mitarbeiter stürzte daraufhin zu Boden und verletzte sich", the statement continued. The man "zog sich dabei Verletzungen zu".

Sequence of events at the second security barrier

"Weil der Mitarbeiter zu Boden ging, konnten die Fans auch das zweite Absperrgitter überwinden und stießen einen weiteren Mitarbeiter weg", police reported. This second employee "blieb jedoch glücklicherweise unverletzt" beziehungsweise "überstand den Angriff zum Glück aber unverletzt".

According to the Upper Austria State Police Directorate, police were "umgehend über den Vorfall verständigt und schritt ein". "Der verdächtige 29-jährige Fußballfan aus Wien konnte bereits rasch ausgeforscht werden." The authority announced: "Es folgen weitere Ermittlungen".

Police investigations

The General Directorate for Public Security and the Upper Austria State Police Directorate spoke of a case of bodily harm in connection with the match. The exact circumstances of the offense, in particular the role of individual participants, are still the subject of ongoing investigations. "Weitere Ermittlungen der Behörden zu den genauen Umständen laufen derzeit."

The friendly between Turkish club Fenerbahce Istanbul and Polish club Pogon Szczecin was played despite the incident. "Am Samstagabend" the two teams faced each other, "Endstand 4:0". No information on goal scorers or the exact course of the match was provided in the available sources.

Security concerns and the friendly match

The case throws a spotlight on security arrangements at international friendlies in Austria. The fact that 60 to 70 fans were able to overcome two security barriers within a few minutes points to a gap in entry controls. Police announced further investigations to clarify how the incident could have occurred.

The authorities provided no further details on the condition of the injured stadium employee. The Upper Austria State Police Directorate also did not initially comment on the identity of other fans involved or any possible background to the group. The investigations are ongoing.