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Ugly scenes erupted in Naples on Wednesday night as football supporters clashed violently in the hours leading up to Napoli’s Champions League fixture with Sporting Lisbon.
Chaotic footage captured from above showed groups of rival fans throwing chairs and swinging sticks at one another outside a local bar near the Stadio Diego Maradona. The skirmish left bystanders scrambling for safety as the violence escalated.
The confrontation lasted several minutes before dispersing, with one set of fans sprinting down a side street while their opponents retreated in the opposite direction.
The clashes unfolded shortly before Napoli’s meeting with Sporting CP in the second game of this season’s new-look league phase of the Champions League.
Social media videos reveal supporters trading blows and hurling bottles, chairs and even chains during the confrontation. Locals, caught in the crossfire, were forced to duck for cover as the disturbance raged on in the narrow backstreets of the Italian city.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash / Alberto Sharif Ali Soleiman, Unsplash / Milan Hamel
