PA:
Manchester United supporters will this week file a group action in Rome against the municipal city police force which was involved in clashes with travelling fans at the recent Champions League quarter-final.
The Independent Manchester United Supporters Association areworking with Italian lawyer Michele Vaira to bring the action against the Rome police, whose riot control division were filmed striking scores of United fans with batons after trouble had broken out during the game.
It will include 150 eye witness reports but will focus on the most extreme cases. It includes the testimony of a female fan who was filmed being repeatedly struck with batons by police as she attempted to retrieve a camera.
Colin Hendrie, spokesman for IMUSA, said: "We hope this will lead to a formal apology and a change of practice in the policing of fans in Italy."
The action comes in the week that United take on AC Milan at Old Trafford in the Champions League semi final, with fans due to return to Italy for the second leg in 10 days' time.
From United's site:
Italy's Interior Minister, Giuliano Amato, has admitted that Rome police were excessive in their treatment of United fans, but appealed to people not to judge them on their over-reaction, according to reports.
Speaking as he called for better understanding of the problems in Italian football crowds, Sig. Amato said, "Without doubt some policemen went too hard on the English fans and used their batons too easily on fans who were on the floor. But to judge Italian police only from that image is not fair."
Sig. Amato says that Italian football will adopt the English approach of using stewards inside stadiums rather than police in full riot gear, but highlighted the problem among some 'Ultra' supporters carrying knives to games.
"The main incidents actually occurred outside the Olympic Stadium, where some fans were knifed. Why are so many young fans going to the stadium with a knife in their pocket? We need to understand how to face this problem."