- Two Brighton fans were stabbed by a masked gang in Rome on Wednesday
- One fan was still able to make Thursday’s game and received a huge reception
- Is Trent Alexander-Arnold playing mind games with Man City’s trophy graves? It’s all Kicking Off podcast
A Brighton fan who was stabbed in Rome and held at knifepoint by a masked gang received a rousing reception at the Stadio Olimpico ahead of his side’s match with Roma on Thursday.
Two men, aged 28 and 29, were taken to hospital with ‘minor knife wounds’ after a knife attack on Wednesday, a spokesman said.
Police were called to Rome’s historic Monti district after a restaurant waiter raised the alarm around midnight on Wednesday.
The two Brighton supporters appeared to miss Thursday’s European match after the shocking incident, but one fan was able to reach the stadium with the help of a crutch.
As he walked down the stairs to take his seat before kick-off, his fellow Brighton fans sang his name and applauded in a heartwarming moment.
One of the Brighton fans who was stabbed made his way into the stadium using a crutch
The stabbed fan (who was wearing a yellow jacket) received a rousing reception from his fellow Brighton fans
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The man reportedly needed 10 stitches after being stabbed but was back on his feet and able to watch his team at the iconic location in the Italian capital.
According to a police spokesperson, the two Brighton fans were attacked by ‘six or seven people wearing masks’.
The pair were robbed of a fanny pack containing their identity documents and wallets. An investigation is underway.
Another Brighton fan, Joey Thorpe, was at the scene and described the terrifying ordeal he and his friends endured.
Speaking to MailOnline, Joey said: ‘I got jumped first, there were kids following us and I got jumped first… They punched me in the head, kicked me in the ribs and just punched me.
“The police didn’t want to know and never blamed us, which is obvious because that was always going to happen,” he said. ‘Because we are abroad. they’re just going to blame us.”
‘We weren’t singing or anything, we just came out of the pub. We had a few drinks, but we were just acting as normal as possible.’
Joey Thorpe, 27, had been at a bar in the Italian capital with five friends when he said he was jumped from behind and beaten up by the masked attackers
PC Darren Balkham, Sussex Police Liaison Officer for the club, wrote on X: ‘We are aware of the incident reported in the Italian media last night. I’ve spoken to both Brighton fans and they’re doing well.’
Brighton also claimed Roma fans threw objects, including bottles, coins and lighters, into the farthest part of the ground.
“We have filed a report with UEFA and the Italian police and requested immediate action,” the club said in a statement.
Brighton impressed in the Europa League group stages, winning four of their six matches in top Group B, ahead of Marseille and Ajax.
However, their last-16 tie got off to a disastrous start as they fell two goals behind in the first half after strikes from Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku.
The second leg at the Amex Stadium will take place next Thursday.