Two men, including an American mistaken for an English fan, have been stabbed and eight others arrested before tonight's Champions League soccer final between Barcelona and Manchester United in Rome.
Briton Greg Whedon (34) was assaulted and stabbed in his left leg outside his hotel today. Four Italians stabbed a 23-year old American during the night after assuming he was British when he spoke to them in English.
"He was found on the ground, bloody and screaming in English, with four people on top hitting and stabbing him with a knife," police said. The four Italians were arrested.
Elsewhere, a 19-year old British fan and his father were arrested outside a bar overnight for hitting two policemen who had intervened to stop a brawl, police said.
Two other Britons were arrested for paying a 300-euro dinner bill at the upscale Cafe de Paris restaurant on Via Veneto with fake banknotes, police said.
Thousands of fans have descended on Rome for the final, and authorities banned alcohol sales in the city center before the game.
Reuters