Flares From Croatia Fans Rained Down in Italy During Euro Qualifier

The Italy/Croatia game was temporarily suspended in the 73rd minute due to Croatian fans throwing flares from the top level of San Siro onto the field. The scene provided for a picturesque and dangerous situation and the referee felt it was best to stop the game and get the players away from danger.

Italian police in riot gear cleared out the Croatian fan section, trying to end a very dangerous situation for all involved. Here’s a collection of what all went down.

After about 10 minutes, the game resumed and remained a 1-1 draw but the result was secondary. As far as we know, there were no injuries due to the flares but it was still very dangerous. Any time when sticks of fire are being thrown in a facility with a large number of people, the danger meter ratchets up considerably. It’ll be interesting to see how UEFA responds to this stupid move by those who threw flares because a soccer field shouldn’t look like a war field.

About Phillip Bupp

Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @phillipbupp

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