TURIN, Italy, April 13 (Reuters) - Liverpool and Juventus fans threw missiles at each other before kick-off in Wednesday's Champions League game after home fans had clashed with police.
Plastic bottles, a few seats and other objects were thrown by Juve fans at Liverpool supporters, some of whom responded by throwing the same missiles back into the Italian section.
A small group of around 20 Liverpool fans then moved towards fencing separating them from Juve supporters only to be pushed back by police.
Fears had long been raised that hard-core Juventus fans would cause trouble at the game, seeking revenge for the 1985 Heysel Stadium tragedy. Thirty-nine fans, mainly Italians, died after a wall collapsed following a charge by Liverpool fans before the European Cup final in Brussels.
The incidents inside the Delle Alpi came after a group of 50 Juventus fans clashed with police outside the stadium, which is hosting a game against Liverpool for the first time since Heysel.
The fans were part of a larger group of around 150 supporters wielding batons who faced off against some 100 police officers, pelting them with various missiles including flares.
Two cars were in flames, one of them a police car, near the scene of the clash as riot police took more than half an hour to bring the situation largely under control.
Juventus fans, who dispersed into smaller groups after a series of police charges, wore scarves across their faces to avoid identification.
Two police helicopters buzzed overhead throughout the disturbances.
Liverpool supporters were bussed into the stadium more than an hour before the kickoff of the quarter-final, second leg tie. Liverpool won the first leg 2-1.
Inside the stadium, there was a relatively calm atmosphere before the game with the only hostility faced by Liverpool fans coming in the form of chants from the Juventus supporters.
The south end of the Delle Alpi, home to Juve's hardcore "ultra" support, unveiled a banner in tribute to the 39 victims of the Heysel tragedy which was warmly received by the rest of the stadium who responded with applause.
Police created 'no man's lands' either side of the Liverpool section, with around 50 security officials in place.
Police had tightened security and drafted in undercover agents to help keep the peace in Turin, while many Liverpool fans were being hosted in neighbouring towns rather than the city itself.
Plastic bottles, a few seats and other objects were thrown by Juve fans at Liverpool supporters, some of whom responded by throwing the same missiles back into the Italian section.
A small group of around 20 Liverpool fans then moved towards fencing separating them from Juve supporters only to be pushed back by police.
Fears had long been raised that hard-core Juventus fans would cause trouble at the game, seeking revenge for the 1985 Heysel Stadium tragedy. Thirty-nine fans, mainly Italians, died after a wall collapsed following a charge by Liverpool fans before the European Cup final in Brussels.
The incidents inside the Delle Alpi came after a group of 50 Juventus fans clashed with police outside the stadium, which is hosting a game against Liverpool for the first time since Heysel.
The fans were part of a larger group of around 150 supporters wielding batons who faced off against some 100 police officers, pelting them with various missiles including flares.
Two cars were in flames, one of them a police car, near the scene of the clash as riot police took more than half an hour to bring the situation largely under control.
Juventus fans, who dispersed into smaller groups after a series of police charges, wore scarves across their faces to avoid identification.
Two police helicopters buzzed overhead throughout the disturbances.
Liverpool supporters were bussed into the stadium more than an hour before the kickoff of the quarter-final, second leg tie. Liverpool won the first leg 2-1.
Inside the stadium, there was a relatively calm atmosphere before the game with the only hostility faced by Liverpool fans coming in the form of chants from the Juventus supporters.
The south end of the Delle Alpi, home to Juve's hardcore "ultra" support, unveiled a banner in tribute to the 39 victims of the Heysel tragedy which was warmly received by the rest of the stadium who responded with applause.
Police created 'no man's lands' either side of the Liverpool section, with around 50 security officials in place.
Police had tightened security and drafted in undercover agents to help keep the peace in Turin, while many Liverpool fans were being hosted in neighbouring towns rather than the city itself.
