One fan 'critical' after clashes at Nice v Cologne Conference League tie

Violent clashes leaving one fan in a critical condition and dozens injured overshadowed Thursday's Europa Conference League game between Nice and Cologne in southern France. One hour before the scheduled kick-off of the opening match in the third-tier European competition at the Allianz Stadium several hundred hooded fans in the Cologne colors invaded the stand of Nice fans. The rivals came to blows, some armed with chairs or iron bars torn from the stadium. A total of 32 people were injured, including two police officers and a steward, and four hospitalized, with one, a Parisian who had been among the German supporters, in a "critical condition" after falling in the mayhem.

"The man fell five meters between the first and second level of the stands. The accident occurred after the incidents in the stadium" Benoit Huber, director of office of the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, told AFP.

Faced with these incidents, the gates of the stadium were temporarily closed with the game pushed back nearly an hour. The Group D game eventually kicked off ending in a 1-1 draw with Steffen Tigges opening for the visitors after 19 minutes before Andy Delort earning a point from the penalty spot after an hour.

"It's disappointing, infuriating to see that. It shouldn't happen. One more person got seriously injured. We weren't even sure if we were going to play. But I think we had to play this match. Our supporters have nothing to reproach themselves with, a stadium ban would be too unfair" said Nice coach Lucien Favre of the violence.

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Meanwhile Favre extended his condolences to the club's English owner Jim Ratcliff after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who he said "had a big impact on us".

© Agence France-Presse

UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE

Thursday

Fiorentina - Rigas Futbola Skola 1-1 (0-0)

/Barak 56 - Ilic 75/

Heart of Midlothian - Başakşehir FK 0-4 (0-1)

/Kaldirim 26, Ndayishimiye 67, Kingsley 75 og, Ozcan 82/

RSC Anderlecht - Silkeborg IF 1-0 (0-0)

/Silva 81 pen/

Austria Wien - Hapoel Be'er Sheva 0-0

Villarreal - Lech Poznań 4-3 (3-1)

/Chukwueze 32, Baena 36, 40, Coquelin 89- Skoras 2, Ishak 47 pen, 62/

FC Slovácko - FK Partizan 3-3 (2-0)

/Kalabiska 5, 20, Kozak 83 - Diabate 47, 53, Gomes 53/

OGC Nice - FC Köln 1-1 (0-1)

/Delort pen 62 - Tigges 19/

KF Ballkani - CFR Cluj 1-1 (0-0)

/Thaci 65 - Yuri Matias 90+1/

FC Vaduz - Apollon Limassol 0-0

SC Dnipro-1 - AZ Alkmaar 0-1 (0-0)

/de Wit 63/

Molde FK - KAA Gent 0-0

Shamrock Rovers - Djurgårdens IF 0-0

Sivasspor - Slavia Praha 1-1 (1-1)

/Saba 27 - Olayinka 4/

FC Basel - Pyunik Yerevan 3-1 (1-1)

/Males 23 pen, Burger 54, 76 - Dasyan 27/

ŠK Slovan Bratislava - FK Žalgiris 0-0

West Ham United - FCSB 3-1 (0-1)

/Bowen 68 pen, Emerson 75, Antonio 90 - Cordea 34/