Expected skirmishes broke out on Tuesday evening around Frankfurt's Eintracht Champions League game at Olympique Marseille.
Two hours before kick-off, even before the gates to the Stade Vélodrome had opened, there was plenty of ignition.
Cannon bangs caused loud bangs around the arena, which can accommodate a good 66,000 spectators.
Bengalos also burned again and again;
fireworks also flew into the sky.
Ralph Weitbrecht
sports editor.
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It was an overall heated atmosphere, and it was no wonder that the police had increased their forces to a good 1,000 officers in the French Mediterranean metropolis on the day of the match.
3300 fans of Eintracht had received a ticket for the second premier class game of Frankfurt.
Because last season in the second leg of the semifinals against West Ham United, Frankfurt supporters stormed the field after the end of the game on May 5 to celebrate with the players who had reached the final, the European Football Union imposed a fine of 80,000 euros and a ghost game on probation for two years.
In the third group game of this year's Champions League campaign, Europa League winners Eintracht will play Tottenham Hotspur at home on October 4th.