Three Spanish football fans hospitalised after attack by ‘masked Polish hooligans’ on motorway

Police confirmed that three fans were taken to hospital after being attacked on the motorway

Polish police said fans were taken to hospital after an attack on the motorway (AFP via Getty Images)

Masked Polish football hooligans armed with batons attacked two coachloads of Spanish fans on the motorway in the middle of the night, police said on Thursday, ahead of a Europa Conference League match between Jagiellonia Bialystok and La Liga side Rayo Vallecano.

Police said that two cars had pulled up in front of the coaches carrying the Spanish fans forcing them to stop on the S8 motorway near the village of Prosienica in east-central Poland.

Several dozen people then emerged from a nearby forest and attacked the Spaniards. Police said that a fence at the side of the motorway had been cut through.

"At the scene, paramedics from an ambulance provided assistance to the injured, and three people were taken to hospital," the police said in a post on X.

"A total of seven people were detained in connection with the incident. Items seized included balaclavas, telescopic batons, wooden sticks, and metal-cutting shears."

Rayo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The La Liga club's ultras, the Bukaneros, did not post about the incident on their social media accounts, while Spanish police said they did not have any information on it.

Fans of La Liga side Rayo Vallecano have been hospitalised after an attack (AP)

Jagiellonia sit ninth on eight points in the Conference League table, while Rayo are 12th with seven from four games.

Domestically, Jagiellonia are going strong as they sit fourth in the Polish top-flight table.

They have taken 28 points from their opening 16 league matches, and are just two points behind leaders Wisla Plock with two games in hand.

Meanwhile, Rayo are just below mid-table in 12th place in La Liga, having taken 17 points from 15 matches.

They are five points above the bottom three, with Girona, Real Oviedo and Levante currently occupying the relegation places as La Liga moves towards the midway point in its season.