By Chris Wright
With 22 fans detained by police before the game amid fears of violence, Thursday evening’s Europa League ding-dong between Feyenoord and Roma has proved to be the powder keg it was shaping up to be.
Last week’s first leg saw legions of Feyenoord riot through the streets of Rome before the game, vandalising a 17th-century fountain and leaving the place strewn with beer cans and smashed glass.
Images of t-shirts then did the rounds on social media earlier this week which were printed up by Feyenoord fans and read ‘SEE YOU THURSDAY YOU STABBING SCUM‘ – just one of many factors which led security to be ramped up to be Nth degree in Rotterdam over the course of the day.
The game followed suit, with a red card for Feyenoord sparking chaos in the terraces which eventually saw the game temporarily suspended on several occasions.
Players and officials were also repeatedly pelted with coins and lighters throughout the game.
An inflatable banana was also hurled in Gervinho’s direction at one point, though whether or not there were any racist connotations is up for debate – especially as it was thrown from a section of the crowd where several inflatables were being waved around…
Feyenoord fans throw giant inflatable banana at Gervinho http://t.co/3M8EfaJgUx pic.twitter.com/CATic8mCBm
— MARCA in English (@MARCAinENGLISH) February 27, 2015
Absolute bloody madness, and we’re certain we’ve not seen the complete fall-out of the myriad disturbances by any measure.
For the record, Roma eventually won 2-1 on the night thanks to goals from Adem Ljajic and Gervinho, meaning the Italians waft through to the last 16 by a 3-2 aggregate scoreline.