- Man United fans were attacked by a swarm of Fenerbahce ultras on Wednesday
- A hooligan group shared provocative messages allegedly sent by a United fan, but Mail Sport were unable to trace the account
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Manchester United fans were attacked by a horde of Fenerbahce ultras in Istanbul on Wednesday night, as shocking footage shows.
One supporter claimed their group was ‘swarmed’ by as many as 50 hooligans, while another told Mail Sport they saw a fan hit with a crowbar.
Footage shows an attack taking place outside the Grand Hisar Hotel, less than a kilometer from Taksim Square, where two Leeds fans were stabbed to death by Galatasaray hooligans before a UEFA Cup semi-final in 2000.
Videos of ultras charging towards and attacking fans were proudly shared by hooligan accounts, with one self-styled ‘anarchist’ page writing ‘this is Istanbul’.
In an ominous Instagram post, a group of hooligans shared a photo of themselves standing in the street, some on motorbikes, with the caption: ‘At the first blow of a fight… Manchester really is RED now : )’.
Manchester United fans were swarmed and attacked in the streets of Istanbul on Wednesday night, with a Fenerbahce ultra group appearing to take responsibility
“This is Istanbul,” ultras wrote as they shared images and footage of fans being attacked
In an ominous Instagram post, uultras wrote: ‘Manchester is really RED now’
United fans landed in the Turkish capital on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s Europa League match against Jose Mourinho’s side.
‘About 50 of them swarmed us (a group of five). “One boy followed me down the street and pretended to help before he hit me in the jaw,” one supporter told the popular United fan website. StrettyNews.
The attacks on United fans appear to have been carried out by the GFB Bogaz Hooligans group, who shared the original footage.
On their X account, the group shared a post that reportedly showed an exchange with a potential United fan.
Mail Sport was unable to track down an account on Instagram with the United fan’s username. It is entirely possible that the message was fabricated, or that the account was changed or deleted.
Screenshots are missing some messages, but show United fans writing ‘see you soon’, ‘game on’ and ‘let’s go’ before announcing their location at the Celtic Irish Pub in Istanbul.
Sharing the message and video, the hooligans wrote: “Reply to the traitors who insulted our religious and national values and gave us a position.”
However, the Celtic Irish Pub is about an 11-minute walk from the Grand Hisar hotel, where the footage of the attack was filmed.
A hooligan group shared messages from an account that Mail Sport could not find, allegedly showing a United fan inviting the ultras to a pub
“If you go abroad and insult the people there, I’m glad the ending wasn’t worse,” wrote a Fenerbahce follower.
Turkish football has long been marred by violence and this has not diminished in recent seasons.
Last season, Fenerbahce players were attacked by Trabzonspor fans who stormed the pitch, hurled objects and wielded corner flags.
Former QPR star Bright Osayi-Samuel was forced to fight back to protect himself when an attacker beat him up. Michy Batshuayi launched a spinning heel kick and connected with a supporter, causing them to quickly disperse.
Even this season, one Fenerbahce fan stormed the pitch and pushed over club president Ali Koc before another threw a bottle from the stands and hit him.
