Five England supporters have been injured in attacks by Netherlands fans as the Dutch massively outnumber the English in Dortmund.
More than 80,000 Dutch people are expected in Germany for the Euro 2024 semi-final against the Three Lions on Wednesday.
That means the English faithful could be outnumbered by two-to-one, with 40,000 of them believed to be in Dortmund for the game.
The sheer size of the numbers has caused a logistical problem for local authorities, who worry that the city’s infrastructural capacity will be tested.
German police have worked alongside British and Dutch officials to coordinate a huge security operation but videos of crowd trouble have already started to circulate online.
Local authorities have announced that gangs of Dutch risk fans are in Dortmund with the intention of targeting England supporters.
A spokesperson for the UKFPU said: “We are aware of some reports and videos circulating of disorder in Dortmund. It appears that there have been several instances of Dutch fans attacking England fans in bars and attempting to steal flags.
“We understand this has resulted in minor injuries to five people. We are also aware that in addition to the tens of thousands of Dutch fans there to enjoy the game, there are groups of risk supporters who have travelled to Dortmund from the Netherlands.
“Our officers are at the location supporting German colleagues. We would advise supporters to be aware of their surroundings and seek areas where there is a German Police presence. ”
Meanwhile, there are fears the official fan zones will struggle to cope, with Friedensplatz holding just 6,500 fans and Westfalenpark having room for 25,000.
Hotels have ramped up prices to more than £800-a-night and ticket touts are expected to thrive.
The match will take place at Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park – live on talkSPORT – as England and the Netherlands fight for the right to face Spain in the Berlin final on Sunday.
Both sets of supporters have only been allocated around 8,250 official tickets for the match, but that has not stopped them travelling in tens of thousands – particularly the Orange Army.
Besides boasting a reputation as one of the most passionate and supportive national fan bases in world football, the Dutch also have geography on their side.
Dortmund is only a 75-minute drive from the Netherlands border and two hours on public transport – which is available for as little as £21.
The Dutch FA organised a celebratory march with thousands of fans walking through the city centre following an open-top bus.
It has become tradition for the Dutch to create a sea of orange wherever they go at Euro 2024, but their showing in Dortmund is comfortably the biggest support for any visiting nation at the tournament so far.
Their unofficial anthem ‘Links Rechts’ – or ‘Left Right’ – by ‘Snollebollekes’ has sparked a dance craze in Germany as thousands of supporters jump from side-to-side on matchdays.
This was taken to another level on Wednesday as the ‘Oranje’ social media account shared incredible videos of the scenes in Dortmund…
talkSPORT is bringing you live commentary of EVERY game at Euro 2024. Tune in via the website or the app, and follow our live Euro 2024 blog for all the latest news, views and reaction to the big moments.
News Summary:
- Dutch violence erupts as 80,000 Netherlands fans turn Dortmund orange and outnumber England fans
- Check all news and articles from the latest Football updates.