Euro 2020: Forty nine arrests in London following final, say Metropolitan Police

‘These people should be ashamed of themselves. They are not fans. They are thugs’

In total, 19 Met Police officers were also injured (AFP via Getty Images)

A total of 49 people were arrested in London by officers policing the Euro 2020 final, the Metropolitan Police said.

The force added that 19 officers were injured “while they confronted volatile crowds.”

Crowds of fans swarmed London on Sunday with scuffles breaking out in Leicester Square. Bottles and cones were also hurled across the area, hitting other fans, while parts of central London were left littered with rubbish.

Elsewhere, fans were caught on camera burning an Italian flag in central London, while flares were let off “within the vicinity of railway stations,” according to the British Transport Police.

Meanwhile, at Wembley Stadium ticketless fans attempted to break through security and get into the stadium to catch a glimpse of the historic final between England and Italy.

In a statement, the police force said: “There was a breach of security at Wembley Stadium, which resulted in a small number of people getting into the stadium without a ticket.”

Scotland Yard tweeted: “Our policing operation for the Euro 2020 final is drawing to a close. Thank you to the tens of thousands of fans who had good spirits and behaved responsibly.

“We made 49 arrests during the day for a variety of offences. We will have officers on hand throughout the night.

“Frustratingly, 19 of our officers were injured while they confronted volatile crowds. This is wholly unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents thousands of the capital’s police, has called out those who hurt officers after the Euro 2020 final match on Sunday evening.

The organisation responded to a tweet by the Met Police, which said 19 officers were left injured saying: “These people should be ashamed of themselves. They are not fans. They are thugs. We wish our injured colleagues well.”