Image Credit: Lars Baron / Getty Images
An England fan has suffered life-changed brain injuries at the Euro 2016 tournament after being attacked by Russian fans, it has been revealed.
51-year-old Andrew Bache was trapped in the chaos as Russian fans climbed the barricades separating them from England supporters following the two teams’ 1-1 draw on Saturday, with him being hit “multiple times” across the head with an iron bar. The Porstmouth fan’s injuries aren’t said to be life-threatening but they will be life-changing, though the extent of the damage that has been caused cannot be confirmed until he is taken out of an induced coma.
Bache’s injuries are the worst suffered by a fan following the violent Euro 2016 clashes, which took place throughout the second day of the competition. Though both England and Russia fans fought each other on the streets of Marseille, with riot police being sent in to disperse the crowds, Russia have been singled out by UEFA as a result of their fans’ behaviour following Saturday’s match, with the football governing body looking to take disciplinary action against the Russian Football Union.
Andrew Bache. (Image Credit: Just Giving)
UEFA also stated that it would disqualify both England and Russia from the tournament if their fans’ violent behaviour persisted, branding it “totally unacceptable” on behalf of both sets of supporters. The UK government offered to send extra police to France to help out with the England vs. Wales game on Thursday.
The vicious attack on Andrew Bache is one of two tragic incidents that have thus far taken place at Euro 2016, with it having been reported that a Northern Ireland fan has died in Nice after reportedly falling from a promenade onto a rocky beach. 24-year-old Darren Rodgers from Ballymena was said to have been on his own when the incident occurred.
