Football thugs hurl chairs at each other in ugly scenes before Europa League final tonight

Ugly brawls erupted on the streets of Seville tonight between Rangers and Eintracht Frankfurt fans ahead of the Europa League final, which has now kicked off. 

Café chairs went flying in the streets and parasols were knocked over after fighting between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers broke out.

Rangers supporters sitting in a bistro on the side of the road began throwing chairs as Eintracht fans surrounded the eatery – it is not clear who began the violence first as the two sides threw the projectiles at one another. 

Some fans, who appeared to be Eintracht supporters – wore balaclavas – as they dodged incoming furniture and tossed it back over to the Rangers. 

The Scottish supporters caught up in the violence were filmed throwing chairs at their rivals from their position by unfurled Union Jacks.

Some football fans tried to use giant street parasols local traders were using for shade as protection as the café furniture rained down on them.

Police sources identified the spot where the incident occurred around 6pm this afternoon as the Puente de los Bomberos in the neighbourhood of San Bernardo, built in the 1920s over railway tracks that existed at the time.

It is near to a city centre street called Calle Puerta de la Carne where the violence continued.

It was not immediately clear why the trouble started, and whether any arrests had been made or if there were any serious casualties apart from one Rangers fan who is understood to have been knocked to the ground after being injured around the head.

Outraged locals retweeted the footage to Seville mayor Antonio Munoz and Seville City Hall’s official account.

A group of young cyclists on cycles had to get off their bikes and sprint for safety as the chairs were hurled through the air behind them.

The trouble broke out in several places around the city.

There was also a fist fight close to Seville Cathedral and also in Hercules Square, where 20,000 Rangers fans had been drinking all day.

German police told Mail Online that 400 Frankfurt Ultras have slipped into Seville intent on attacking Rangers fans. 

Other video online showed  throngs of Eintracht fans dressed in white as hundreds of them walked through the streets of Seville.

It comes as Eintracht thugs have thrown flares and chairs at Rangers supporters in the host city after a 200-strong mob of German yobs attacked the Glasgow fans ahead of the Europa League final tonight.

Spanish police said they arrested five Germans yesterday after Eintracht fans, many of whom were wearing balaclavas, began violent altercation with a large group of Rangers fans enjoying late-night drinks in Seville.

The trouble comes as police have identified 400 ‘at risk’ soccer hooligans who have slipped into Seville in an attempt to cause mayhem at tonight’s Europa League final.

The Spaniard filming the punch-up shouts to a friend not to risk it as he goes to venture outside to separate the two groups of men.

Riot police can be seen in the background chasing after Eintracht Frankfurt hooligans who moments earlier had been throwing glasses and other missiles at Rangers fans ahead of tonight’s final in the southern Spanish city.

The locals filming the extraordinary scenes could be overheard yelling out: ‘Give them a good beating, smack them, smack them’ as the heavily-armed police tried to clear the German ultras from the area.

The violence outside the bar where the Spaniards had locked themselves in appeared to come out of nowhere after German hooligans wearing balaclavas had walked by menacingly moments earlier.

The man who was the first to be hit had been sat down with friends at one of the tables and appeared to have taken no part in the violence that led to riot police being mobilised and ended with the arrests of five Germans for public order offences.

Another thought to be a Rangers fan although his nationality has not been officially confirmed, felt the full force of a right hook to his head in a surprise ambush before all hell broke loose and the brawlers began to use chairs as weapons.

The Spaniards filming the violence provided a running commentary as if it were a boxing match, with one shouting: ‘Jesus, they’ve really hurt him’ as they recorded the moment one of the chairs was hurled through the air by the man who received the first punch and hit its intended target full on.

Spanish police confirmed after they had quelled the trouble around midnight last night that they had made five arrests.

The German Ultras have been tracked from Frankfurt and Spanish police have been provided with intelligence on the thugs out to attack Rangers fans.

Their methods include the surveillance of bars where opposition fans are drinking and then to launch an ambush.

They also sound out rival fans in football shirts to attack them as they walk alone.

The identities of some of the gang of 400 is known to German police and their photos and names have been given to Spanish police marshalling tonight’s match.

Sources said the numbers included some of the moist vicious thugs from Frankfurt and are from the same gangs that attacked innocent West Ham United fans in Germany a fortnight ago.

Thousands of riot police have been drafted in to try and prevent further trouble after clashes late last night which saw the masked Ultras attacking Rangers fans.

Earlier Spanish TV footage showed the hooligans brazenly approaching heavily-armed officers standing between them and the Scottish fans before hurling their missiles as extra police reached the scene.

One flare landed inches from the spot where the Rangers supporters were standing, near to Irish bar O’Neills on Paseo de Colon where trouble flared between Eintracht Frankfurt ultras and West Ham fans in March.

One Rangers supporter could be seen picking up a glass and throwing it in the direction of the German hooligans on the other side of the police line.

Earlier, footage showed Eintracht fans, many of whom were wearing balaclavas, running through the streets of Seville in search of Rangers fans.  

Police reinforcements were quickly mobilised, arriving in several riot vans with their sirens sounding and lights flashing, to restore order and stop the problems worsening.

But some of the Eintracht fans began throwing glasses, flares and tables at police officers. One German fan was later seen being marched away by cops in handcuffs.

Rangers fans drinking outside O’Neils bar on Paseo de Colon were ambushed and chased along the riverfront.

Some Rangers fans retaliated and punches were traded, bottles and chairs thrown and riot police moved in.

Officers confirmed they had to fire warning shots into the air to bring the situation under control. 

A Rangers fan suffered head injuries as a result of the clashes. His condition this morning was not known.

More than 100,000 Rangers fans and 50,000 Eintracht Frankfurt are expected to be in Seville tonight before the Europa Cup final kicks off.

But only 20,000 of that number have been sold tickets officially for the 40,000-seater Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.

A spokesman for Spain’s National Police said: ‘The National Police have arrested five Eintracht Frankfurt supporters for public order offences following the violence overnight in the centre of Seville.

‘The problems occurred around midnight during a mass altercation opposite Seville Cathedral.

‘Rapid police response units who were in San Francisco Square had to intervene to deal with an incident sparked by a group of 200 Eintracht Frankfurt fans who were attacking Rangers supporters.

‘When they were 100 metres from the bars on Paseo de Colon where it meets Adriano Street, officers managed to neutralise the situation with a police line formed with riot vans and by firing warning shots in the air.’

The spokesman added: ‘There were no serious injuries as a result of these incidents, except for a Rangers supporter who suffered a head wound.

‘The police arrested four German fans on Paseo de Colon and another German in a square called La Puerta de Jerez.’

‘When they saw police arrive, the German fans started to flee in the direction of Paseo Colon, assaulting Rangers supporters as they ran and clashing with police trying to stop the attack on the Rangers fans.

‘At that moment the Eintracht Frankfurt fans began to throw glasses, flares and tables at police officers.

‘When they were 100 metres from the bars on Paseo de Colon where it meets Adriano Street, officers managed to neutralise the situation with a police line formed with riot vans and by firing warning shots in the air.’

The spokesman added: ‘There were no serious injuries as a result of these incidents, except for a Rangers supporter who suffered a head wound.

‘The police arrested four German fans on Paseo de Colon and another German in a square called La Puerta de Jerez.’

Spanish police chiefs admitted yesterday the Europa League final represents the ‘most complicated’ challenge they have faced in recent years.

Spanish National Police chief Juan Carlos Castro said the heady mix of sunshine and cold beer could spark booze-fuelled violence, whilst admitting ‘we’re not going to control anything’.

More than 5,500 police and private security guards have been mobilised to help keep the peace as part of an unprecedented security operation in Seville.

They include riot squad cops and bomb disposal experts as well as a unit tasked with monitoring social media for terrorist threats. 

Frankfurt police spokesman Thomas Hollerbach confirmed to Mail Online today that groups of Ultras had travelled to Seville and were out to cause trouble.

‘What they did to the West Ham fans in Frankfurt was disgraceful.

‘We were ashamed of it. Now they have gone to Seville and we are worried what they will do and what trouble they will cause.’

Seville police are particularly concerned at the heavy drinking that has taken place yesterday and was continuing from breakfast time today with both social support is down in beers and despite the early hour.

With temperatures reaching 35°C, many football fans remove their shirts showing off their chests and down beer after beer close to Seville’s Cathedral.

But one Rangers fan Alex Harrisson, 50, from Cludebank, said: ‘There was a wee bit of trouble today, but the majority of fans will stay out of it and just enjoy the sunshine and the beer.

‘But the police have got to be on their guard tonight after the match. One way or the other there’s going to be a set of fans were very upset when the match doesn’t go their way,’ he added.