100 arrested as rival fans clash

More than 100 people were arrested after a series of violent clashes before last night’s Euro 2012 clash between Poland and Russia in Warsaw.

Police also confirmed 10 people were injured — seven Polish, two Russians and one German — but cited medical agencies in claiming none of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.

Trouble flared despite an unprecedented security operation in the Polish capital, with a number of separate incidents reported in the build-up to the match at the National Stadium.

Thousands of Russian fans marched towards the stadium to mark Russia Day, considered a provocative gesture by some Poles whose nation was subjected to decades of rule by Moscow during the Cold War.

One particular flashpoint was the Poniatowski Bridge in Warsaw, where Russian fans responded to taunts from their Polish counterparts by allegedly hurling missiles as riot police struggled to keep the sides apart.

Police officials said they expected the number of arrests to continue to grow.

“We are still monitoring the situation and trying to identify the supporters involved,” said a spokesman.

The match itself, which finished 1-1, passed off without incident but police were not ruling out further trouble with an estimated 20,000 Russians in the city for the match.