Liverpool fan in critical condition after attack as two Roma supporters arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

Two men from Rome have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a Liverpool supporter was left fighting for his life following an altercation between fans ahead of the Champions League semi-final at Anfield.

Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final meeting with Roma was marred by violent scenes outside the stadium after the two sets of fans clashed in the shadow of the Kop.

The injured man, believed to be from Ireland and with his brother, was being treated for his injuries at Walton Neurological Centre, where his condition is described as critical, Merseyside Police said.

The 25-year-old and 26-year-old were arrested after police launched an operation to track down the man's assailants.

Liverpool Football Club said it was "shocked and appalled" by the incident and urged fans and those who attended the game to help Merseyside Police with their appeal for information.

Detective Inspector Paul Speight, said: "Witnesses report that the victim was hit with a belt and then fell to the ground.

"Paramedics treated him at the scene and he was taken by ambulance to Walton Neurological Centre, where he is being treated for a head injury. His condition is currently described as critical and his next of kin have been informed."

The Liverpool fan's alleged assailants were among a total of nine men, aged between 20 and 43, who were arrested for various offences before and after the match.

The offences included affray, assault, possession of offensive weapons, possession of a controlled drug, criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly.

Footage posted on social media showed groups of Roma fans charging towards Liverpool supporters, one of whom was knocked to the ground, before they were chased down the streets behind the stadium.

In a video shared on Twitter, a collection of around 20 Roma fans were filmed attacking a Liverpool fan while the injured man was attended to by a steward.

According to eyewitness reports, the fans charged using batons and belts as weapons, before fleeing after Liverpool fans in the vicinity became aware of the situation.

The road was soon flooded with police officers who cleared the area around the injured man. He was eventually carried inside an ambulance on a stretcher, with stewards and police frantically trying to clear the roads of fans to allow the vehicle to leave the area.

There were also separate reports of scuffles between the two sets of fans outside of a local pub in the area in further ugly scenes that will raise concerns about Liverpool’s trip to play Roma in the second leg next month.

The violence followed hours of frenzied build-up to the game in the roads near Anfield as the home fans once again gathered to welcome the Liverpool team bus and set off flares.

The incidents come after the events outside of Anfield ahead of Liverpool’s quarter-final first leg against Manchester City earlier this month, when the City team bus was damaged by objects thrown by supporters waiting on the streets outside of the stadium.

Liverpool were charged by Uefa following the damage to the City bus, and this week the club released a video in which manager Jurgen Klopp pleaded with supporters to “show our best to the world”.

He said: “In the stadium, do it again and better. Outside the stadium, please show the respect we have to show. We can show how wonderful Liverpool people are and we can show it in 20 minutes before the game and then the whole world knows it.”

Many Liverpool fans set off red smoke-bombs as they mounted police vans and signs as they waited to greet the Liverpool bus once again, but these were largely scenes of celebration and excited expectation rather than violence.

The welcoming of the Liverpool team bus is a relatively new development for the supporters of the club, who first started lining the streets with flags and banners during the 2013/14 season when the club came so close to the Premier League title under Brendan Rodgers.

Unlike against Manchester City, there was no sign of any trouble or violence as the team buses arrived at the stadium. The violence appeared to begin with the incident involving the group of Roma fans who charged towards Liverpool fans just metres from the entrance to the Kop.

Before the game, Merseyside Police had warned fans that it would crack down on any fan disturbances around the ground, saying its policing style would be “firm, fair and friendly” and vowing to take action against any individuals who caused problems.

Chief superintendent Dave Charnock said on Monday: “We are expecting a vibrant atmosphere at Tuesday’s match, but our intention is that at the end of day we will be talking about the game and what happened on the pitch as opposed to off the pitch.

“Our policing style will be firm, fair and friendly, but we will take action where necessary against those individuals who may seek to cause problems or misbehave and spoil the evening for the majority of supporters.”