Arsenal start Europa League campaign in chaos as Cologne supporters try to storm the home end, battle riot police and force kick-off at the Emirates to be delayed by an hour

  • The Europa League tie between Arsenal and German outfit Cologne was supposed to start at 8.05pm
  • About 20,000 Cologne supporters were estimated to have made the trip to London
  • The high number of fans caused problems for the police and Arsenal stewards at the Emirates
  • There were also some reports of anti-social behaviour before the game 

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Arsenal launched their European campaign in chaos on Thursday night as thousands of Cologne supporters forced the kick-off to be delayed by an hour.

The Europa League tie was delayed amid safety fears as some sections of the visiting forms stormed through security cordons and tried to force their way through turnstiles.

About 20,000 fans were estimated to have made the trip from Germany to savour their club's first taste of European football for 25 years.

Cologne supporters lit flares as they gathered during the match in the away end

Cologne supporters lit flares as they gathered during the match in the away end

Cologne fans light a bright red flare as they cheer on their team at the Emirates Stadium in north London

Cologne fans light a bright red flare as they cheer on their team at the Emirates Stadium in north London

Riot police moved in with dogs as a precautionary measure on Thursday evening

Riot police moved in with dogs as a precautionary measure on Thursday evening

In order to navigate the terraces some supporters were spotted clambering over seats

In order to navigate the terraces some supporters were spotted clambering over seats

Cologne fans shout at stewards and opposing Arsenal supporters as violence erupts inside the Emirates Stadium

Cologne fans shout at stewards and opposing Arsenal supporters as violence erupts inside the Emirates Stadium

Riot police moved into the section where the away fans had been housed after fights broke out

Riot police moved into the section where the away fans had been housed after fights broke out

Baying police dogs bark at Cologne fans  as crowd trouble mars the Europa League fixture

Baying police dogs bark at Cologne fans as crowd trouble mars the Europa League fixture

Riot Police stand on guard as crowds of Cologne fans chant and sing inside the stadium 

Riot Police stand on guard as crowds of Cologne fans chant and sing inside the stadium 

Police had to move quickly to keep the Cologne fans outside the ground under control

Police had to move quickly to keep the Cologne fans outside the ground under control

Arsenal confirmed on Thursday night that their game with Cologne had been delayed

Arsenal confirmed on Thursday night that their game with Cologne had been delayed

The sheer volume caused problems for the police and stewards at the Emirates Stadium.


More specifically many did not have tickets and acquired tickets for the Arsenal sections of the ground, forcing the London club to close the gates and put the stadium into 'lockdown'.

There were reports of anti-social behaviour, including supporters urinating in the streets. One photograph on social media showed a man with blood pouring from a head wound. 

Cologne supporters were stopped on a walkway as they tried to get to the Emirates 

Cologne supporters were stopped on a walkway as they tried to get to the Emirates 

One Cologne supporter was left with a bleeding head after being caught up in the incident

One Cologne supporter was left with a bleeding head after being caught up in the incident

Officers guarded The Clock End, where the Cologne supporters arrived in their thousands

Officers guarded The Clock End, where the Cologne supporters arrived in their thousands

ITV political editor Robert Peston reported Nazi salutes and 'peeing on doorsteps' by Cologne fans amid 'chaos at Arsenal'. Witnesses said stadium seats were vandalised.

For a time there were fears the match would be called off, as police and stewards outside the ground struggled to get a grip on the boisterous away following.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was engrossed in pre-match discussions about when the match might be rescheduled.

'We waited patiently,' he said. 'At one stage I thought we will not play. I couldn't see the police taking any risk. We live in a society of 100 per cent security. I thought they would not take a gamble when we saw the scenes around the stadium. Our supporters dealt well with the situation.

'What was difficult for me were all plans to think about. Do we play tomorrow? What time? Or next week, but they had a Bundesliga game and we had a League Cup game, so do we move that to Tuesday and play on Thursday? All kinds of things. If nothing now happens after the game then yes, it was the right decision to play.'

The Metropolitan Police told Sportsmail at 9.40pm that four people had been arrested on suspicion of public order offences. 

Two supporters are spoken to by a police officer ahead of the match on Thursday night

Two supporters are spoken to by a police officer ahead of the match on Thursday night

Police officers urge Cologne supporters to get back as they were held outside the Emirates

Police officers urge Cologne supporters to get back as they were held outside the Emirates

Cologne supporters were allowed into the stadium shortly before 8pm on Thursday night

Cologne supporters were allowed into the stadium shortly before 8pm on Thursday night

Once the game began, Cologne fans dominated the lower tier of Arsenal’s Clock End and pockets of them appeared all over the stadium. Red flares were lit and, when Cologne took the lead through Jhon Cordoba’s wonder strike, the supporters went wild. They only settled when riot police lined up behind the goal.

Met Police had earlier released a statement saying: ‘Officers are dealing with disorder at the Emirates Stadium. A policing plan is in place for the game. Additional officers have been deployed.’

Initially there were only 110 officers designated for duty at the game, but more were drafted in as kick-off loomed and the problems intensified. Groups of Germans stormed past the outer cordon, where tickets were being checked, and some tried to force their way through the stadium gates.

The Emirates was put into lockdown and the match was delayed by an hour, with kick-off rescheduled for 9.05pm.

Security meetings were held as safety experts debated whether the match could go ahead. There was a strong argument to call off the game. Equally, it was argued, it would be dangerous to turn the fans back into London without having seen the game. Turnstiles were closed and fans stacked up on the generous concourse around the ground. At a less modern venue, the chaos could have been far worse.

Police riot vans and dog units poured into the area and seized control, blocking off key routes to the ground including the bridge across the railway tracks from Drayton Park station.

Police helicopters circled overhead. Some spectators with young children headed home.

Cologne fans took over some streets of central London and they let off red flares before the match against Arsenal

Cologne fans take over central London as they let off red flares before they play Arsenal

Pictures emerged of fans fighting as Cologne supporters marched through London

Pictures emerged of fans fighting as Cologne supporters marched through London

Footage showed a man being kicked in the head while another is punched as he intervenes 

Footage showed a man being kicked in the head while another is punched as he intervenes 

Cologne's boisterous supporters march along Oxford Street hours before the Europa League clash

Cologne supporters parade along Oxford Street hours before the Europa League clash

Hundreds of German fans took over Wardour Street in Soho shortly after 3pm on Thursday

Hundreds of German fans took over Wardour Street in Soho shortly after 3pm on Thursday

A huge number of visiting fans gathers in Soho after lunch before matching through the city

A huge number of visiting fans gathers in Soho after lunch before matching through the city

Cologne fans wave a bright red flare and march to the beat of a drum as they enjoyed a pre-match party in central London

Cologne fans wave a bright red flare and march to the beat of a drum as they enjoyed a pre-match party in central London

The vast majority waited in good spirits in the rain, but it was clear at every entrance — those intended for home fans and others for away fans — that there were hundreds of Cologne supporters, dressed in colours and singing loudly.

The turnstiles opened at 7.50pm, 15 minutes before the game was originally scheduled to start. However, stewards and police still had segregation issues because Cologne fans with tickets for the Arsenal seats tried to make their way into the away end.

When the dust settles, Arsenal and the FA could receive calls from UEFA because Article 15.1 of their safety regulations states the governing body will hold the home team responsible for the allocation of the ‘home’ tickets, so many of which found their way into the hands of Cologne supporters.

Wenger accused the German fans of spoiling their big night, back in European football for the first time since the Nineties.

‘Cologne have not played in Europe for 25 years. On the first night they are back they spoil their night,’ said the Frenchman, who urged UEFA to investigate.

‘They were very clever. I don’t know how they managed to infiltrate our fans. Did they go through membership or the internet, I don’t know but they did it very well.

A Cologne supporter with a red smoke canister on Highbury corner on Thursday afternoon

A Cologne supporter with a red smoke canister on Highbury corner on Thursday afternoon

Fans of the German side chanted as they marched through central London ahead of the game 

Fans of the German side chanted as they marched through central London ahead of the game 

The visiting fans were in tremendous spirits as they dominated London

The visiting fans were in tremendous spirits as they dominated London

Cologne fans congregate on an Islington street in the build-up to the game

Cologne fans congregate on an Islington street in the build-up to the game

One supporter collected a traffic bollard during the frivolities on Thursday

One supporter collected a traffic bollard during the frivolities on Thursday

Mounted police survey the scene at the Emirates Stadium as thousands of Cologne fans make their way into the ground

Mounted police survey the scene at the Emirates Stadium as thousands of Cologne fans make their way into the ground

‘Were the problems from people with no tickets? I don’t know. Certainly there were more people here than they had tickets.’

Cologne boss Peter Stoger refused to comment on anything but the match, adding: ‘My job is football and not the fans.’

Arsenal had been made aware of the likely invasion and said they had been in regular dialogue with the Bundesliga team to plan for the fixture. They gave the visitors 3,000 tickets and issued warnings about segregation.

The London club closed down sales to members who had joined after the Europa League draw and warned the Germans none of them would be allowed into the home end, even if they had tickets. Earlier, touts had been selling on the streets to Cologne supporters and later it was clear that hundreds were among the Arsenal fans.

In Germany, supporters are not separated so stringently as in England. Many were at a loss as to why they were not allowed in.

Security chiefs scoured TV monitors as the ground started to fill up and at 8.30pm came confirmation that the match would go ahead.Eventually the players emerged.

‘Welcome to the home of football, welcome to the home of Arsenal Football Club,’ said the man on the public address system. But it felt like the home of Cologne.

In the end, the visitors from Germany served up one of the noisiest and most passionate nights witnessed at the Emirates Stadium. 

Supporters line the roads of Islington, drinking and dancing, in anticipation of the game

Supporters line the roads of Islington, drinking and dancing, in anticipation of the game

Cologne fans march through Wardour Street in central London before they play Arsenal

Cologne fans march through Wardour Street in central London before they play Arsenal

Cologne haven't appeared in Europa League since 1993 and fans of the 'Billy Goats' are excited

Cologne haven't appeared in Europa League since 1993 and fans of the 'Billy Goats' are excited

Police attempt to control Cologne fans as they march down Wardour Street letting off flares

Police attempt to control Cologne fans as they march down Wardour Street letting off flares

Fans of the Bundesliga club are preparing to watch Cologne in action at the Emirates Stadium

Fans of the Bundesliga club are preparing to watch Cologne in action at the Emirates Stadium