Soccer Extreme : A huge police operation at the Stadio San Paolo attempted to keep disturbances to a minimum as Napoli's hardcore Ultra fans continued to threaten trouble against Liverpool supporters.At least four fans were involved in stabbing incidents and another three people reported injuries after several attacks on Wednesday night.
Naples police, who admitted gangs of Ultras had launched a co-ordinated plan to target English visitors, stepped up security measures around the ground in the hours before the Europa League game.
Around 1,200 officers were on duty, more than one for every Liverpool fan, in an attempt to reduce the chance of further trouble.
A handful of Reds supporters arrived just under an hour and 20 minutes before kick-off to be greeted with a cacophony of whistles from the already two-thirds full stadium.
Police held a press conference earlier in the day in which they admitted Ultras had gone looking for Liverpool fans last night.
It was initially reported five English and one Italian had been injured but two more were added to that list as the day went on.
Three arrests were made after the attacks last night and police recovered an array of weapons and Ultra paraphernalia from the home of one.
Among the weapons seized were a baseball bat, several aluminium five-foot-long bars with numerous strategically-placed screws protruding and a six-foot wooden plank.
"Ultras went out seeking English fans, absolutely," said Filippo Bonfiglio, head of DIGOS, the local department charged with dealing with terrorism and political activity.
"There are groups of violent supporters here in Naples so we could hypothesise something like this would happen but it was impossible to prevent every attack everywhere.
"On the basis of what happened yesterday evening there was no provocation at all.
"We are organising more patrols to prevent these kind of attacks but the city is so great - 1.5million inhabitants - that it is impossible to prevent and control everything.
"We are absolutely sure the area around the stadium will be secure.
"It is highly controlled and patrolled and supporters will follow a special route so they will be safe, I am sure.
"We hope the English supporters coming to watch the game follow strictly the instructions for the meeting place so they can be safely escorted to the stadium."
Liverpool responded to the attacks last night by posting a reminder of their safety advice on the club's website.
"Following a number of widely reported incidents in Naples on Wednesday night that have resulted in some Liverpool fans requiring medical treatment, Liverpool FC would like to advise all travelling supporters to be careful, stick together and heed the safety advice provided with your match ticket," it said.
The club website had previously published a comprehensive safety guide, after consultation with the British Consulate in Naples, which said: "Liverpool Football Club supporters have vast experience of travelling throughout Europe but the city of Naples can be a dangerous place."
Trouble started at around midnight at a pizzeria when Ultras began throwing things at English fans inside.
The Italian owner went out to remonstrate and that was when he was injured.
Two Liverpool fans were then injured after being attacked by a group of Napoli supporters.
The BBC reported they were 53-year-old Alexander Phillips, of Liverpool, and a 27-year-old who asked not to be named.
A couple of hours later the most serious attack took place around 4am near the central Piazza Garibaldi.
A group of four fans were walking back to their hotel when they were followed and beaten up by a gang of 20-30 men.
Police said Gary Brown, 50, from Hertfordshire, and his son Adam, 17, received a knife injury and bruising respectively.
Brown's 23-year-old son Daniel was not injured but family friend Ross Hazeldene, also 23, sustained a knife wound.
Police revealed the three men arrested all had criminal records with one having been convicted of football-related violence previously and banned from the Stadio San Paolo.
"We are still making enquiries about the aggression last night but they have been investigating these violent supporters a long time so we hope to have some results in the future," added Bonfiglio.
"But we are speaking about football supporters - not the entire population of Naples." (sportinglife)