TROUBLE flared before England’s Euros curtain raiser against Serbia – leaving an English fan with blood pouring from a head wound.
Sources at the scene said a group of yobs appeared to have started chaos in a restaurant near the venue city of Gelsenkirchen five hours before kick-off.
Around 3.30pm, some 200 German riot police flooded into a back street near the station to restore order as bottles and glasses filled the air during the brawl.
A cop said: “The English turned up and we saw everything being thrown – chairs, tables, glasses – you name it.
“Serbs hit back and chased the group down the street and one was caught.
“He’s a lad from Birmingham who ended up with a nasty wound to the back of his head.
“He said he was from Birmingham but refused to give his name when he was getting medical attention.”
The injured man – tall and in his 20’s in a black t-shirt and shorts – could be heard speaking in English as he was led from the scene.
Trouble centres on the Aleppo Restaurant in Arminstrasse, where the scene was littered with smashed glass, bottles and debris minutes after the clash.
The English fans involved appeared to have disappeared into the crowds in the city as cops in helmets and riot gear took control.
It is reported that 40,000 fans will travel from England for the first game alone, with 300,000 expected to travel to Germany throughout the entire tournament.
The brawl comes just hours after cops closed in on a crazed axeman brandishing a Molotov cocktail near a busy Euros fan zone.
Shocking footage showed the suspect with a golden pickaxe as cops drew their guns and deployed pepper spray moments before his arrest on the streets of Hamburg.
A second video taken by a horrified passerby showed the moment police cornered the assailant before firing warning shots into the air.
Cops shot the axeman and sealed off the Reeperbahn strip, not far from where thousands of Dutch supporters were gathering to watch their match against Poland.
Some 40,000 fans were peacefully marching along the street filled with bars at around 12.30pm before the attacker’s terrifying rampage.
Pictures showed a sea of football supporters dressed in orange just feet away as the chaos unfolded.
Police say the man came out of a bar with the weapon before footage showed him wielding it at officers, Dutch outlet RND reports.
Witnesses claim they heard four loud bangs as several riot police officers moved in to apprehend the suspect.
Dramatic video showed cops warning him to drop his weapon but when he refuses, cops deploy pepper spray before shooting him in the leg.
Hamburg Police said the axeman was carrying an “incendiary device” as pictures from the scene showed a Molotov cocktail smashed on the floor.
Police fear he intended to set it off in the middle of the crowd of supporters, according to German news outlet Bild.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
