Legia Warsaw fans battle police as Aston Villa ticket spat turns ugly ahead of Conference League clash

Legia Warsaw fans have clashed with police ahead of their Europa Conference League game against Aston Villa.

Travelling Polish fans were denied entry to Villa Park, with the game kicking off with no travelling support inside the ground. And that resulted in ugly scenes in the streets around the ground, with police officers targeted and missiles thrown into the stands from outside at the home support.

West Midlands Police say that offers have been injured as fans threw objects and let off pyro. Officers have contained the fans in a car park behind the Witton Lane stand. Legia supporters are said to be unhappy at the English Premier League outfit cutting their allocation to just 890 tickets - a decision that was taken based on advice from police and the Safety Advisory group. Under normal UEFA rules, visiting clubs are entitled to 5% of the total capacity, which at Villa Park equates to 2,100 tickets.

Birmingham Police tweeted: "We're currently unable to allow away fans into Villa Park following disorder outside the stadium which has seen missiles thrown at officers. Three officers have already been injured & a significant policing operation continues. Please avoid Witton Lane where possible."

An official statement from Legia hit out at Villa for their ticket stance. It read: "Instead of relieving potential pre-match tensions, Aston Villa FC's restrictive measures as the host club unnecessarily exacerbate the atmosphere. In our opinion, such measures are counterproductive and baseless,"