The police force in Bratislava is raising security measures in preparation of the return leg of the UEFA Europa League third round qualifier between Slovan Bratislava and Crvena Zvezda Belgrade tomorrow, Thursday 5 August.
Thousands of Serbian fans are expected to flood the streets of Bratislava, and they don’t exactly have the best reputation for being orderly. The police are not taking their arrival lightly, and have even cleared the grounds from around the stadium of all objects that could be used as ‘weapons’, such as stones, branches etc.
Bratislava police spokesman, Frantisek Peczar said: “The purpose is to protect people and their property, and to ensure smooth and safe traffic before, during and after the match”.
Slovan won the first leg 2-1 in Belgrade, and so the atmosphere will very much depend on what happens on the pitch.