Bayern fans clash with Lisbon police

Bayern Munich’s hard-fought 2-0 victory over Benfica in the Champions League was a reason to celebrate for most fans of Die Roten. Unfortunately, however, some Bayern supporters may have taken their jubilation to the extreme; at least in the eyes of local police.

Per a report by AZ, the behavior of Bayern fans was so raucous that Lisbon police were deployed and had to use their batons to diffuse the situation. Exact details were not available, but AZ gave a very high-level summary of the alleged incident:

It was actually already for a great Champions League evening. Fantastic weather, a great game and the fairytale story of Renato Sanches, who was hailed by his former fans when he returned home. But it was not all that wonderful on this late summer evening in Lisbon: before and during the game, unpleasant scenes played out on the stands. Fans of FC Bayern were apparently with the Portuguese police and batons are said to have been used. This is the result of consistent reports from the Estadio da Luz. The exact reasons for the clashes are not yet known.

There is a history of local police being called into address fan behavior in Lisbon, including an incident with Borussia Dortmund fans:

No new phenomenon in Portugal: In February last year, Borussia Dortmund was a guest at Benfica, the supporters of the Westphalians also complained at that time a completely disproportionate action by the officials.

It is hard to discern anything without the exact details of yesterday’s incident(s). Fan behavior can, indeed, push the limits of proper, public behavior at times. In this case, however, there is no way to tell if this was a case of obnoxious behavior by fans or an overreaction by local authorities.