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WE'VE BEEN FRAMED
ITALIAN POLICE PIN BLAME ON UNITED AND SPURS FANS

THE ITALIAN government last night scandalously tried to blame Manchester United AND Spurs fans for the trouble that scarred the two clubs' European adventure.

In a deliberately provocative and unnecessary act, the Italian official responsible for public security in Rome, Achille Serra, staged an impromptu news conference in which he besmirched the reputation of the United fans attacked by missiles and police in Wednesday's Champions League game in the Stadio Olimpico.

And even more outrageously, Serra stepped miles beyond his jurisdiction to use photographs taken during Tottenham's UEFA Cup defeat in Seville to blacken the reputation of all English fans.

As UEFA stepped up its probes into the incidents in Rome and Seville that have been hotly contested by both English clubs and are likely to lead to heavy fines, the public official overstepped the mark to back the much-criticised Italian police. United have angrily denounced the overreaction by baton-wielding police who did nothing to prevent the fusillade of missiles thrown by the Roma supporters.

Home Secretary John Reid agreed there were serious "questions to ask" over the behaviour by the security forces in both Italy and Spain. But Serra accused United and Spurs fans of being behind the vicious scenes.

The claims from Italy came as United maintained that the problems were caused by police overreaction, and Spurs club secretary John Alexander said: "One disabled fan was hit with a baton with such force that it knocked him out of his wheelchair."

In London, Chief Superintendent Simon O'Brien, Borough Commander Haringey, who was at the Spurs match as an observer said: "The Spurs fans' behaviour was excellent throughout the day and the Spurs stewards did a remarkable and commendable job at the match."