TURKEY and Georgia fans brawled in a fan zone following the fiery Euro 2024 clash between the two nations yesterday.
The two sides met at a sodden Signal Iduna Park in their Group F opener.
A brawl broke out at a fan zone in Poland
Violent scenes echoed what had happened in the stands
Before the match, fears were raised that kick-off could be delayed, with torrential rain falling and chaos descending in the stands.
Supporters in certain areas of the ground found themselves drenched as water cannoned down from the roof.
And in shocking scenes, fans of the two nations could be seen throwing punches and grappling as cops struggled to bring order.
With just a thin rail dividing the two sets of supporters, things kicked off more than an hour before the game.
Eventually riot police restored order, with the game able to kick off at 2pm UK time as planned.
That wasn’t the end of the day’s fighting, however, with supporters in Poland continuing the scrap.
A fan zone in the Polish city of Gorzow Wielkopolski reportedly hosted supporters of both nations.
In a video circulating on social media, the rival sets of fans could be seen fighting.
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ReutersSupporters clashed ahead of the game in Dortmund[/caption]
ReutersPunches were thrown in the fiery bust-up[/caption]
AFPRiot police were deployed to break things up[/caption]
As other supporters watched on from deck chairs, several fans became embroiled in the disturbing scene, with punches and kicks thrown.
With nobody immediately on hand to break up the fight, tempers appeared to flare for around a minute before the brawl broke apart.
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On the pitch, Turkey beat Georgia 3-1 in one of matchday one’s most exciting matches.
Mert Muldur gave them the lead on 25 minutes, only for Metz star Georges Mikautadze to equalise shortly after the half hour mark.
Real Madrid wonderkid Arda Guler restored Turkey‘s lead with a stunning strike on 65 minutes.
Deep into stoppage time Georgia threw everyone, including their goalkeeper, forward in hunt of an equaliser.
And Kerem Akturkoglu made them pay, rolling the ball into an unguarded net in the 97th minute.
Turkey will return to action on Saturday when they face Portugal, also in Dortmund.
While on the same day, Georgia will take on the Czech Republic in Hamburg, with both sides looking to get off the mark.