The unrest caused by Esperance's spectators during Ahli's 2-1 Champions League win was premeditated, said Cairo Stadium manager Abdul-Aziz Amin. The ill-tempered match saw the Tunisian side's fans clash with security personnel in the stands, ripping up seats and throwing them towards the pitch midway through the second half. TV cameras also caught a dozen of the away supporters beating up two stewards mercilessly. "I have been the Cairo Stadium manager for nine years and I have never seen such a brutal attack," Amin told Modern TV after Sunday's game. "Esperance's fans were respectfully treated and well protected inside the stadium. They had no reason to turn violent. "They must have been hired to adopt this outrageous behavior and stir chaos. I also would like to stress that they were all drunk." Smuggled Flares A number of Esperance's spectators were also seen holding lit flares during the match, although fireworks are banned inside Egyptian stadiums.
Flares were smuggled too Amin admitted that security forces turned a blind eye to the visitors' fans while they were smuggling flares on their way in. "Female supporters hid flares in sensitive places of their bodies. The security men decided to let them pass because we didn't want anyone to say we crossed the line," he explained. It's understood that 11 of the gratuitously aggressive hooligans were arrested and will be questioned by the police on Monday. Compensation from Ahli The damages at Cairo Stadium are estimated at EGP 150,000, according to Amin. "Seats, lavatories and eateries were smashed," he said. "We will seek compensation from Ahli because they are the club who rented the venue. In return, they should demand the Tunisian Football Federation to pay the required sum of money." Ahli are widely expected to file a complaint in the immediate future to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over the unfortunate incidents.
