Fans shot after row with rivals

Two Manchester United soccer fans were in hospital in Vienna last night after being wounded in a drive-by shooting following a row with rival fans in a bar in the city's red-light district.

Steven Daye, 33, was in a critical condition following emergency surgery to remove a bullet from his abdomen which he received when he was ambushed late on Thursday night with his fellow fan Christopher McKenna, 32, who was shot in the leg.

The pair, both from Manchester, were involved with two other Manchester United fans in a verbal altercation with rival football supporters before the gunmen opened fire from a white Mercedes, the Foreign Office said last night.

All four fans were in the Austrian capital to witness their team's 2- 0 victory over Rapid Vienna in the European Champions' league match on Wednesday night.

From his hospital bed last night Mr McKenna denied claims that the group was arguing with rival fans and said that he had "no idea" why they were attacked. "The four of us were just chatting and laughing when suddenly car windows and shop windows around us shattered," he said. "The next thing I knew Steven and I were lying on the floor with blood everywhere."

"We were really impressed with how friendly the Austrians were, even though they lost the match. We'd had a brilliant holiday and had been out celebrating, but didn't go overboard and decided to go back to the hotel because our flight left at 4am."

Manchester United Football Club last night issued a statement saying it was "shocked" by the news.