UEFA Cup: Houllier offers sympathy to Liverpool fans

Liverpool Football Club manager Gerard Houllier has offered his sympathy to 14 of his team's fans injured during trouble before a UEFA Cup clash in Italy.

Liverpool Football Club manager Gerard Houllier has offered his sympathy to 14 of his team's fans injured during trouble before a UEFA Cup clash in Italy.

Eleven fans were taken to hospital last night, mainly with stab or slash wounds after being attacked before kick-off in Rome.

Three more - Gerard Collins, 26, Gary McAlbin, 30, and Terry Drake, 26 - needed medical treatment after being assaulted yesterday morning. A total of six were detained in hospital overnight with knife wounds while the others were discharged.

Mr Houllier said: "I have great sympathy with them and it cast a shadow over our enjoyment and pleasure of the result.

"The fans were fabulous for us out there in the stadium and joined us with great support, and to have what happened to some of them was very disappointing."

Trouble, believed to have been started by the Italians, flared before the game with AS Roma, which Liverpool won 2-0.

A number of the fans were stabbed in the buttocks and one suffered serious slash wounds outside the Olympic stadium minutes before kick-off.

None of the fans stabbed last night is thought to be in a life-threatening condition and all had received consular support. A spokesman for Liverpool FC said the attacks were "completely without provocation".

It appears Roma fans clashed with police around kick-off time outside the stadium. Hooligans threw stones and bottles at police, who responded with tear gas. The troublemakers also set fire to a taxi and a motor cycle.

Liverpool gave themselves a huge advantage in the current tie by wrapping up a 2-0 win thanks to two goals by Michael Owen.

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