UEFA charge United, Liverpool over Old Trafford violence
UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Manchester United and Liverpool following their Europa League match at Old Trafford on Thursday night.
The last-16 second-leg tie was marred by a number of incidents, including fighting in the crowd.
United are to be charged under safety regulations for having stairways blocked, for crowd disturbances and the throwing of objects.
Liverpool are to be charged with illicit chants, setting off fireworks, the throwing of objects, crowd disturbances and the team being late onto the pitch.
The case will be dealt with by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body on 19 May.
There were scuffles in the crowd at the final whistle at Old Trafford after a Liverpool flag was unfurled in the home end with police intervening and escorting a small group of fans out of the upper tier of the East Stand.
Greater Manchester police made five arrests, two of them on suspicion of affray and one for lighting a flare.
A number of flares and smoke bombs were seen in the away end after Liverpool scored shortly before half-time.
A statement from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) read: "Just prior to the full-time whistle, police were made aware of a physical altercation between supporters of both sides.
"Police and stewards broke up the altercation and after police took details of all those involved, a number of fans were escorted out of the stadium and onto their awaiting coach."
However, Superintendent Jim Liggett, GMP's match commander, added: "The behavior of the majority of fans in attendance was excellent and I would like to thank them for their co-operation throughout."
UEFA regulations state that all clubs may be punished for "inappropriate behavior on the part of their supporters" including the throwing of missiles, lighting fireworks or flares or any other objects and "any other lack of order or discipline observed inside or around the stadium".
Police were forced to take down an offensive banner on the outskirts of Manchester which greeted Liverpool fans arriving from Merseyside.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: "At around 5:15pm on Thursday 17 March 2016, police were made aware of an offensive banner that had been hung over a bridge on the M602 prior to the Manchester United v Liverpool match at Old Trafford.
"The banner was located and officers were immediately dispatched and the banner was taken down."
Inside the stadium, one banner in the away end bearing the words 'Hang the Roma 4' - in reference to United supporters convicted in 2007 of fighting with police in the Italian capital, who subsequently had their jail sentences cut on appeal - was also quickly removed.
Midway through the second half, there were two very faint separate 'murderers' chant from the Stretford End but both died out almost before they had got started.
In the first leg at Anfield, Liverpool's 2-0 victory was marred by a section of United supporters chanting about the Hillsborough stadium disaster, when 96 Liverpool fans died following a crush of bodies at an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest in 1989.
United avoided a UEFA sanction as the match officials did not mention the incident in their match report.
