A NUMBER OF England supporters have been arrested following running battles with police in Prague ahead of the Three Lions’ Euro 2020 game with the Czech Republic.

Czech police said Friday they had detained 31 fans following clashes in Prague’s city centre.

Police “took steps against football hooligans at two restaurants in Prague,” police said in a tweet.

“Police have detained 31 people in total, including 14 foreigners,” they said, adding they had to use force to restore calm.

The travelling supporters had set up shop in a square in the Old Town section of the Czech capital, continuing a rowdy display after reportedly being warned, in English, that they faced police action.

After that warning was ignored, the authorities arrived, armed and wearing riot gear. The visiting fans responded by throwing bottles at the police, who in turn launched stun grenades at them.

Around 12 fans were pinned into a corner and forced to the floor. 

There were concerns before the game that the late kick off, 8:45pm local time, with the fixture being played on a Friday and Prague’s reputation as a party town would potentially lead to problems with England’s travelling contingent.

The Three Lions have had problems in recent years across Europe, with similar incidents seen in Amsterdam, Porto and Dortmund.

This time 3,800 fans bought tickets for the game, but more are thought to have made the trip.

Additional reporting by AFP

There has been no statement as to whether or not those arrested had tickets to the game, which the Czech Republic won 2-1.

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