With as many as 2,400 AS Roma
soccer fans expected to attend a tense game against Feyenoord in
the Dutch port of Rotterdam, police said Wednesday they were
braced for trouble.
The rematch Thursday evening comes only a week after
hooligans from Holland trashed Rome's famed Spanish Steps in one
of at least two melees that ended with injuries to Rome police
as well as fans.
Dutch police cautioned they would clamp down "in a firm
way" against any Roman hotheads seeking revenge.
Most Italian fans were traveling via Amsterdam where the
first wave of Romans arrived Wednesday but no incidents were
immediately reported.
A squad of Italian police also travelled to the Netherlands
to assist Dutch forces of law and order, with cops from both
countries holding a "summit" meeting Wednesday evening, police
sources said.
Italian police urged Roma fans to "take every possible
care to avoid any problem and ensure that the away game takes
place in a climate of fun and sport".
But tensions were heightened Wednesday with a Twitter post
showing the image of a T-shirt apparently threatening Italian
fans.
The T-shirt read: "We'll see you Thursday and we'll stab
you AS Roma scum" under an image of the historic Barcaccia
fountain at the foot of Rome's Spanish Steps, which was damaged
by Feyenoord ultra fans rioting one week ago.
The Dutch parliament is now debating whether it should pay
Rome for damages to the recently-restored Renaissance fountain.
Holland has to date declined to offer to pay for the
damages, arguing that it is in no way responsible for the
rioting in Rome.
However, some MPs contend the government should cough up as
a gesture of goodwill from the Dutch people in general.
"None of us want the world to see us as wishing to ignore
the damage and looking the other way," said Labour Party Senator
Marleen Barth.
James Pallotta, the American owner of the AS Roma soccer
squad, said he hoped that Italian supporters would be restrained
when the two teams meet in Rotterdam.
"It was disgusting. It's embarrassing. I hope the fans of
Roma do not do the same," Pallotta said earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, ìconic AS Roma captain Francesco Totti stressed
the need to win the game following the 1-1 draw in last week's
match.
"One game can change a season, and tomorrow's can determine
the whole year," he said Wednesday.
"Winning could represent the turning point of the season
because we would get through the round, we would return to
victory and so we would have more faith in ourselves, we would
face up to Juventus in a different way."
AS Roma coach Rudi Garcia added: "we want to qualify very
much".
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