West Ham fans violently clash with Eintracht Frankfurt ultras in Seville

West Ham supporters in Seville violently clashed with Eintracht Frankfurt fans last night with the two teams in Spain for Europa League matches. 

German side Frankfurt defeated Real Betis 2-1 on Wednesday night and West Ham fans were already in the city ahead of facing Sevilla on Thursday. 

Betis’ match with Frankfurt had been brought forward 24 hours by European football’s governing body UEFA in a bid to avoid crowd trouble. 

But footage emerged on Wednesday of Frankfurt and West Ham fans clashing violently in the centre of the city. 

Footage shows ultras from Frankfurt forming a larger group before a co-ordinated confrontation, which saw bottles thrown and some holding what appear to be giant wooden sticks. 

Another video shows tables and chairs being thrown with people behind the camera heard shouting: ‘come on West Ham!’ 

It is not clear what exactly ignited the trouble between the two sets of fans outside an Irish bar before Spanish police intervened. 

The violent clashes broke out in the centre of Seville with bottles thrown and giant sticks used

Clashes broke out across the city with one taking place in middle of the road near the bridge

The Telegraph adds that eye witness reports detail how ‘rubber bullets’ were used as the violence escalated with police attempting to prevent further clashes.  

David Moyes’ team arrived in Seville on Wednesday and many fans of the east London club did similar in making a few days of the Europa League trip. 

Many on social media have pointed to the video of what looks to be a carefully choreographed attack by a group of supporters who are reported to be followers of Eintracht Frankfurt.

Trouble on the continent involving English football fans is nothing new. 

At last season’s Champions League final in Porto, Man City and Chelsea fans clashed with Portuguese police close to the Douro river after bars were closed at 10.30pm.

In December it was alleged that Liverpool’s travelling fans were ‘attacked by bottles and chairs’ by AC Milan fans ahead of their group stage meeting. 

 West Ham are preparing to take on Sevilla in the Europa League knockout stage on Thursday

Frankfurt fans were in the city as they faced Sevilla’s neighbours Real Betis on Wednesday

A month prior, Manchester United fans found themselves attacked in Bergamo by ‘masked assailants’, according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. 

Prior to the violent clashes in the early hours, the focus had been on the football and Moyes laid down the challenge facing his players. 

‘I expect my players to win – if we play Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, I expect them to win,’ Moyes said. ‘I’m really disappointed when we don’t.

‘I want this to be the new West Ham. The new West Ham that qualifies for Europe. The new West Ham that fills a stadium because the football is good and we have young, exciting players.

‘This time last year I felt Europe was a possibility. Prior to that, we were about avoiding relegation – that was the job. 

‘To think of where we have come in one year, from midtable to challenging for Europe, now we’re talking in terms of Champions League football. We have moved a big amount in a short space of time.’