British police say 46 men have been charged after “serious disorder outside” Villa Park in the build-up to a Europa Conference League football match in which authorities said five officers were injured.
“Of those, 43 have been charged with a public order offence, while two have been charged with assaulting police officers and another has been charged with possession of a knife,” West Midland’s Police said in a statement on Saturday.
The unrest occurred on Thursday ahead of kickoff in a game between Aston Villa and Legia Warsaw. Villa won the match 2-1.
Five police officers sustained minor injuries. Two police dogs and two police horses are also recovering from injuries.
“Those charged are aged between 21 and 63, and around 40 are believed to be from Poland. A small number are believed to be UK residents,” West Midland’s Police said.
Police said all apart from one of the men were due in court on Saturday, and a special court had been set up at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court to begin hearing the cases on Saturday morning.