Albanian prince criticizes Feyenoord fans; 12 Dutch arrested in Tirana

On Tuesday, the crown prince of Albania said on Twitter that Feyenoord fans were causing chaos in Tirana. Leka II expressed concerns about what will happen after the match between the Rotterdam team and AS Roma on Wednesday. Football supporters clashed with the police in Tirana on Tuesday evening. The Albanian authorities report that they arrested 60 fans, including 12 Dutch people. Ten officers were hurt, and a police car got damaged.

In an explanation of his tweet, Leka told ANP that the combination of beer and peer pressure affected young supporters. "Most of them are probably just having a good time, but Albanian police officers have been taken to hospital," he said. "This is new for Albania. We only have boisterous crowds at political demonstrations. Football is normally a family affair here."

Feyenoord will face off against AS Roma in the Conference League final in Tirana on Wednesday evening. There were several incidents between Dutch supporters and the police on Tuesday evening. According to the police, cops wanted to prevent a Dutch group from seeking confrontation with Italian fans. The fans pelted the cops with stones and bottles. The police also clashed with AS Roma fans. 

According to Albanian Daily News and Italian media, at least 200 Feyenoord supporters were involved in a fight with the police near the Air Albania Stadium, where the match will be on Wednesday.

Albanian Daily News also reported, based on police information, that several drunk Dutch football fans got into a fight with a 45-year-old local at a cafe. The man was taken to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

A photo posted by the news site showed a person lying on the ground with overturned chairs and tables next to him. According to the Albanian news, eight Dutch people were arrested for this. Images of clashes between football fans and the police are also circulating on social media, although the authenticity of the photos has not been verified. 

Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb, also present in Tirana, reported earlier in the evening to NPO that about seven people had been arrested in the Albanian capital "Possibly because of violence. We still have to find out exactly." He called the arrests "inevitable" given the fans' alcohol consumption.

According to the authorities, an estimated 50,000 people, including between 15,000 and 20,000 Dutch, will travel to Tirana for the match.