Handball Cairo derby marred by violent clashes

Members of pro-Zamalek fan firm The White Knights clashed with police forces near the premises of Ahli, who beat their arch-rivals 22-28 at home Tuesday in the handball Cairo derby.

كتب : Sherif Tarek

الثلاثاء، 21 سبتمبر 2010 - 22:05
Members of pro-Zamalek fan firm The White Knights clashed with police forces near the premises of Ahli, who beat their arch-rivals 22-28 at home Tuesday in the handball Cairo derby.

A good number of the controversial supporters marched through the streets ahead of the game, chanting the name of their team and lighting flares on their way to the match's venue.

The fans' mass gathering prompted security personnel to prevent them from passing through one of Ahli's gate, which resulted in a scuffle between both sides.

"Some of Zamalek fans tried to break through the gate and caused damages inside the club," Ahli's media center manager Gamal Gabr told Modern TV.

FilGoal.com understands that some of the hooligans were arrested while others made their way into the stadium.

Players Assaulted

Ahmed Debes, coach of Zamalek's handball team, says the security forces assaulted his players before the game because they mistook them for the aggressive fans.

"The players were beaten up and lost concentration before the match," he stated.

Another technical staff member claimed several players were wrongly arrested and detained. He said the police released them in no time.

The game, as such, was ill-tempered and saw several arguments between both teams.

Retaliation

As the situation seemed to be contained after the match, quite a few Ahli fans decided to retaliate by going to Zamalek's premises and started a whole new brawl that lasted for around 30 minutes.

The crowds dispersed only when security forces stepped in.

Many people sustained injuries in the free-for-all. Vehicles were damaged in the Mohadeseen district too.