Portuguese police arrested 12 people early on Tuesday in the Algarve resort town of Albufeira after some 200 mainly English football fans clashed with riot police, a police spokesperson said.
It was the first major disturbance involving English fans since the Euro 2004 finals started last Saturday.
Riot police, aided by a contingent of officers on horseback, were called in to help disperse the group of rowdy fans after they blocked traffic and threw glasses, bottles and chairs at police in the main strip of the town, national guard spokesperson Manuel Jorge said.
”Everything began with small incidents but at a certain point the crowd started to get hostile towards the police and reinforcements were called in,” he said.
Ten of those arrested were British citizens, one was Russian and the other was Portuguese, he said.
About a dozen people were taken to hospital but their injuries were not serious, Jorge said.
Located some 250 km south of Lisbon, the former fishing village of Albufeira is a popular resort with British tourists.
Police cordoned off several streets in the white-walled town centre, which is made up of narrow lanes full of bars, and patrolled the area with dogs after gaining control of the situation.
There was no trouble at England’s opening match against France in Lisbon on Sunday, one of three first-round games deemed ”high-risk” by tournament organisers.
But police in England made over 80 arrests after fighting broke out in various locations across the country following the national team’s shock 2-1 defeat to the French.
The English Football Association was warned by the European Football Union Uefa that any repeat of the fan violence that marked the last Euro finals in Belgium four years ago could see them thrown out of the tournament. — Sapa-AFP