Man United followers attacked by Fenerbahce ultras in streets of Istanbul – as supporter claims ’50 of them swarmed us leaving a number of injured’

Manchester United followers had been attacked by a horde of Fenerbahce ultras in Instanbul on Wednesday night time, as revealed in stunning footage forward of their Europa League conflict. 

One supporter has claimed their group was ‘swarmed’ by as many as 50 hooligans whereas one other instructed Mail Sport that they noticed a fan get hit with a crowbar. 

Footage reveals an assault happening outdoors the Grand Hisar Lodge, underneath a kilometre from Taksim Sq., the place two Leeds followers had been stabbed to loss of life by Galatasaray hooligans in 2000 earlier than a UEFA Cup semi-final match. 

Movies of ultras charging in the direction of and assaulting followers was proudly shared by hooligan accounts, with one self-described ‘anarchist’ web page writing ‘that is Istanbul’. 

In an ominous Instagram submit, a bunch of hooligans shared a photograph of them stood within the streets, some on motorbikes, with the caption: ‘On the primary punch of a battle… Manchester is now really RED : )’.  

United followers touched down within the Turkish capital on Wednesday forward of Thursday’s Europa League conflict with Jose Mourinho‘s aspect. 

‘About 50 of them swarmed us (a bunch of 5). One lad adopted me down a avenue and pretended to assist earlier than hitting me a shot into the jaw,’ one supporter instructed common United fan web site StrettyNews. 

The assaults on United followers seem to have been perpetrated by the GFB Bogaz Hooligans group, who shared the unique footage. 

On their X account, the group shared a message which purportedly confirmed an alternate with one potential United fan.

Mail Sport was unable to trace down an account with the username of the United fan on Instagram. It’s completely potential that the message was fabricated, or that the account was modified or deleted. 

Screenshots miss out some messages however present the fan United writing ‘see you quickly,’ ‘recreation on,’ and ‘let’s go’ earlier than asserting their location on the Celtic Irish Pub in Istanbul.

Sharing the message and the video, the hooligans wrote: ‘A response has been given to the traitors who insulted our non secular and nationwide values ​​and gave us a place.’

Nonetheless, the Celtic Irish Pub is round an 11-minute stroll away from the Grand Hisar lodge, the place the footage of the assault was filmed.  

‘In the event you go to a international nation and insult the folks there I am glad the ending wasn’t worse,’ wrote one Fenerbahce follower. 

Turkish soccer has lengthy been marred by thuggish violence and that has not slowed down in latest seasons. 

Final season, Fenerbahce’s gamers had been attacked by Trabzonspor followers who stormed the pitch, hurling objects and wielding nook flags. 

Former QPR star Brilliant Osayi-Samuel was pressured to battle again to guard himself as an assailant pummelled him. Michy Batshuayi launched right into a spinning heel kick connecting with a supporter and inflicting them to rapidly disperse.

Even this season, one Fenerbahce fan stormed the pitch and pushed over membership president Ali Koc earlier than one other threw a bottle from the stands, hitting him.