England fans caught in Serbian bar brawl reveal what happened in 'premeditated' attack

An England fan has spoken of the harrowing, "organised" violence dished out to Serbian and England fans ahead of the two countries Euro 2024 clash in Gelsenkirchen, Germany tonight.

One supporter said he was a victim of the attack on a Serbian bar while another claimed the attack was premeditated and not the work of his fellow countrymen.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk the first fan, who asked not to be named, said the attackers wore masks and knew which bar to target.

He said: "They came around the corner fully balaclaved up. I was wearing England attire and a bottle was thrown at me and they tried to attack me. Me and my friend ran away as quick as we could."

His friend, who also didn't want to be named, added: "But they weren’t English, I can tell you that now. There was silence when they attacked. Honestly, when the English attack you, you know it.

"These guys were too organised. One hundred percent it was premeditated. They knew where the Serbs were. There were about 20 to 30 of them and they were young lads as well. It was premeditated I don’t know if they were sending a message or what."

Initial reports said a bar where Serbian fans were seeking refuge was smashed up after fans were reportedly chased through the streets by rival supporters.

Some 30 officers blocked off a street amid the unrest before England face Serbia in a match previously deemed high-risk by football authorities.

At least two people were injured, with a couple of men taken away by ambulance with heavily bandaged heads. Reports said a masked fan attacked a Serbia supporter at the venue where tables, chairs and bottles were used as weapons.

A Serbian man and his son who were caught up in the violence told Express.co.uk: "It was a set up. Fans came down a side street and started throwing bottles.

"Our big guys came out of a bar owned by a Serbian guy. They started fighting and then ran off. This is my son's first game. He doesn’t want to go now. He was so scared."

A waiter at the bar told Express.co.uk that Serbia and England fans had been sat together drinking at the venue when it came under attack. The staff member said fans from both sides had bottles thrown at them.

Newcastle and Sunderland fans were reportedly mixed up in the violence with fights breaking out between England fans before the Serbian bar was targeted.

Fans reportedly attacked the venue a number of times, running away from the bar but returning to lob bottles. Police have been telling Serbian fans via loudspeaker that special buses have been laid on to help them get to the stadium in a bid to avoid further trouble.

Before it all kicked off a large group of England fans had gathered in a side street drinking from bottles bought from shops. "Friendship" flags for Leeds, Chelsea, Peterborough United and Rangers were on display as fans discussed where Serbian supporters might "attack" from, according to reports.

Thousands of fans have journeyed to Gelsenkirchen in western Germany to cheer for England in their first Group C stage match.

Manager, Gareth Southgate, urged England fans to enjoy their time in Germany despite local police labelling Sunday's opener against Serbia "high-risk" amid reports of Serbian ultras making their way to the region.

Pro-Putin Serbian ultras have a reputation for sparking carnage during football matches, with pitch invasions and mass brawls.

Euro 2024 is only a few days in but already the tournament has been dogged by violence and tensions between fans.

Police armed with submachine guns launched a manhunt after a man was shot in Berlin while watching the European Championship game between Italy and Albania on Saturday (June 15).

A knifeman was shot dead by police after an individual was killed at a Euro 2024 party in the city of Magdeburg.

The male attacker killed one person and stabbed three others in the aftermath of Germany's 5-1 win over Scotland on Friday.

An axe-wielding man carrying an "incendiary device" was also shot and injured by police in Hamburg's Reeperbahn entertainment district.

Netherlands fans had been marching towards the Volksparkstadion for Sunday's clash against Poland when police intervened.

Some 1,300 police officers will be deployed around grounds on matchdays with beefed up surveillance at fan zones and city centres as part of a massive security operation.

It is believed British police "spotters" as well as plain-clothed officers will also be watching England fans at matches.

A recent surge in violence around football matches prompted the German authorities to dedicate 22,000 police officers to match days during Euro 2024.

The host country is mobilising its largest deployment of officers since the Germany's federal police force was set up in 1951.

Internal border controls have also been introduced, with 10 cities across the country hosting matches.