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England fans stop Three Lions supporter from stealing German’s match ticket

The incident happened around an hour before kick-off at the Nations League tie in Munich.

Ryan Hooper
Wednesday 08 June 2022 10:53 BST
Football fans arrive at a nearby station ahead of the Germany v England Nations League game at Munich’s Allianz Arena (PA)
Football fans arrive at a nearby station ahead of the Germany v England Nations League game at Munich’s Allianz Arena (PA) (PA Wire)

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An England football fan who allegedly stole a Nations League match ticket from a German supporter was immediately apprehended by other English nationals before being arrested by police.

The suspect, a 25-year-old man, is alleged to have pushed a home fan to the floor during the incident near the Allianz Arena in Munich, roughly an hour before kick-off for the match between Germany and England on Tuesday night.

Local police said the suspect was then set upon by fellow English fans, who prised the ticket off him and returned it to the German supporter.

The suspect was then arrested and taken into custody.

He was one of six English people arrested on Tuesday, with four Germans and one American also held by police on what they described as “a quiet night”.

A local police spokesman told the PA news agency the total number of police incidents was lower than at a typical German top-flight football match, and he described it as “a successful police operation”.

Eight England fans had been arrested the previous day – including three making Nazi salutes and one for setting off a flare – as thousands of supporters flocked to the city in anticipation of the match.

Two further Three Lions fans were arrested on Tuesday for setting off flares, at a restaurant and a nearby train station, while a 33-year-old man was also detained for sexual harassment after allegedly touching a waitress on the bottom.

An 18-year-old was arrested for kicking a police officer, while a 40-year-old was held for verbally insulting police.

Four Germans were arrested, police said, including two who tried to get onto the football pitch.

An American national was arrested for allegedly using a drone over the stadium.

The match itself ended 1-1 after a late Harry Kane penalty equalised Jonas Hofmann’s opener for the hosts.

A handful of England fans entered the stadium several minutes late, blaming a lack of signage at the nearest train station which meant they ended up joining the wrong queue before being redirected to the “away end” gate, more than a mile’s walk around the perimeter.

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