Some 60 Feyenoord supporters arrested in Berlin

The German police arrested almost 60 Feyenoord supporters in Berlin. According to the police, they wanted to confront supporters of 1. FC Union Berlin on Wednesday evening in the Kreuzberg district. Feyenoord is playing Union Berlin in a Conference League Group E match on Thursday night.

"We detained a group of 58 supporters as a preventive measure," a police spokesperson told ANP. "They were carrying weapons for a brawl, and they were acting suspiciously." The police arrested the group for fear of commotion.

The police also arrested 13 German football fans nearby. They are believed to be supporters of Union Berlin and Energie Cottbus, another German club. The police intend to keep all of the detained football fans in custody until after the match. This also applies to two people taken into custody early on Wednesday morning for painting Feyenoord graffiti on a monumental piece of the former Berlin wall. They are in custody on suspicion of vandalizing public property.

About a thousand Feyenoord fans arrived in Berlin on Wednesday. Firecrackers were set off in various places in the city. At least 5,200 supporters of the Rotterdam club have a ticket for the match in the Olympiastadion. They will likely have to brave heavy rain showers in the German capital on Thursday.

Berlin deployed about 2,700 police officers and security guards to keep the situation under control. Two weeks ago, things got out of hand before the match between the two clubs in Rotterdam. The match starts at 9:00 p.m. Feyenoord leads Group E with 8 points after three games. Union Berlin has 3 points.