Aggressive Italian police to blame for ugly scenes, says Frisk

POLICE AGGRESSION made a tense situation “catch fire” at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, according to former referee Anders Frisk.

Frisk — who experienced trouble at the Stadio Olimpico first-hand before his retirement in 2005 — believes the police’s heavy-handed tactics were largely to blame for the ugly scenes which marred the game.

Trouble flared after rival fans threw missiles and surged towards a barrier separating them and police weighed in to attack United supporters with batons.