Before Lukas Podolski’s farewell match in Cologne, a Polish fan was stabbed in the stomach with a sharp object and required surgery. Police announced that a suspect had been arrested. Die Welt reports that the attacker is a 17-year-old Moroccan who is registered at a center for unaccompanied minors in Düsseldorf.
Riots erupted in central Cologne near the cathedral. Before the start of the Podolski match, Polish fans clashed with another group of young men for reasons not yet clear, according to a regional report from WDR in North Rhine-Westphalia. One of the men stabbed a 32-year-old Polish fan in the stomach. The victim was taken to hospital and underwent surgery, according to authorities.
Suspect arrested
Police announced the arrest of a suspect, a Moroccan teenager with blood on his clothing who is registered in a Düsseldorf center for unaccompanied minors.
An hour after the assault on the Polish fan, another confrontation occurred with eight Polish fans and six other people, according to local police. After officers intervened, the unrest escalated into broader rioting. Eyewitness accounts described crowds of several hundred fans throwing stones and bottles at officers and tourists filming the scene.
Attack details
According to police, nine officers were injured in the riots in central Cologne, two of whom were seriously enough that they could not continue on duty.
Police used batons and irritant gas to bring the disturbances under control and to disperse the crowds.
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