German police have launched an investigation into attempted manslaughter after Galatasaray fans threw flares at Borussia Dortmund supporters during Tuesday night's Champions League match at the Westfalenstadion.
Crown trouble overshadowed the match, which Dortmund won 4-1. It twice had to be stopped by officials in the second half due to flares being thrown from the Gala section on to the pitch and into the home blocks in the stands.
Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp was screaming for the match to be stopped again late on as further firecrackers could be heard around the ground.
Dortmund police said in a statement that before the match a large group of away fans had set off firecrackers in the city's Friedensplatz and continued to do so as they headed to the stadium.
Police made several arrests and two officers were injured.
The statement also said "massive firecrackers, flares and smoke bombs" were set off during the match by Gala fans and "pyrotechnics and ripped-up seats" were thrown into the area of the home fans and other spectators.
Police said they had confirmed the personal details of all the fans in the Gala block and added in their statement: "Among other investigations were those launched into attempted manslaughter, breach of the peace and breaking laws on explosives and laws on assembly."
After the game the Gala fans were kept in the stadium and some home fans attempted to attack them, police said.
Dortmund midfielder Sebastian Kehl branded the Galatasaray fans who threw flares "idiots" and claimed their team was "ashamed" of them.
Kehl told the Dortmund website: "If Galatasaray fans throw missiles on to the pitch or even into other blocks, you are concerned.
"What idiots. Someone could be injured, perhaps children were standing there. All that preoccupies you, even if you shouldn't really be distracted.
"You could notice from the Galatasaray players that they were ashamed of the behaviour of their fans."
Gala have already been charged by UEFA this season over their fans setting off and throwing fireworks in the match away to Arsenal at the start of October.
Klopp described the scenes in the stands as "a bad image", adding in the Bild newspaper: "If emotions have these negative effects it's gone too far.
"Unfortunately I can't say that such a thing has never happened with us - we have also been responsible for a few not so great scenes. But that casts a shadow on a fantastic game from us. That was pure provocation."
Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc accused the Gala fans of "constant provocation".
On the moment fireworks were thrown down as Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa prepared to take a corner, forward Marco Reus said: "You of course get worried then, because it can hit anyone."
From a performance perspective, Klopp could see improvement in his struggling side as they booked their place in the Champions League knockout stage.
Dortmund made it four wins out of four in Group D, but it is in the Bundesliga where they are most in need of points, having lost their last five league games to sit second bottom of the table.
On Sunday they take on Borussia Monchengladbach and Klopp is hopeful of stopping the rot.
" We will produce a response. We know our situation," he said on the club website. "We have had a lot of tough moments and little time to enjoy the good ones. I told the lads to enjoy this. And tomorrow (Wednesday) we start preparing for Gladbach.
" In our situation it's important to have positive experiences, even if this is a different competition. We have taken a step forward in terms of fitness. But everyone knows what's at stake on Sunday. But it's also important to enjoy the feeling of winning as it might make you want more of it."
Klopp named an unchanged team for the visit of Gala from the one who were edged out 2-1 away to Bayern Munich last time out.
"It's about stability," Klopp added. "We thought it's what the team needs right now. And they weren't that tired from the Bayern game. We now have five days to recover. That's why we made that decision. We need a development and you could see one."
Source: PA
