By IANS
London : Europe’s football governing body UEFA have promised that special measures will be taken to protect Manchester United fans in Rome in the Champions League this season, the club’s website reports.
Eleven Manchester United supporters were hospitalised after the quarter-final against AS Roma at the Olympic Stadium last season, many after a baton charge by riot police inside the ground.
The English club sought assurances about their fans’ safety and UEFA said there will be changes to the arrangements after the two clubs were drawn in the Champions League Group F in Monaco Thursday night.
William Gaillard, UEFA’s communications director and special advisor to president Michel Platini, has told the club: “We will take special care of Manchester United fans because we know they had trouble. We will tighten up security to make sure they don’t get a repeat of the incident.
“The Italian Football Association has a new training programme for stewards. It is something that is being applied in the Italian league and we hope that will make a difference. It means we will have well trained stewards instead of riot police.”
United chief executive David Gill said: “There were unacceptable scenes last time we were in Rome and looking at it from our perspective, our fans were blameless.
“We will work with the authorities, with Roma and UEFA to make sure there is no repeat of what happened because we want it to be remembered as a great game on the pitch.”
United also face Sporting Lisbon and Dynamo Kiev in Group F and should be confident of making the knockout stages given they beat Roma 7-1 at Old Trafford last season.