England, German fans clash after hosts win

Gelsenkirchen:

German police moved in as a precautionary measure to separate German and English football fans in Gelsenkirchen as the hosts progressed to world cup semis. Supporters of both teams initially celebrated and drank alcohol together, with German fans cheering their team's victory. Germany beat Argentina 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out earlier on Friday. England supporters had gathered on the city streets in anticipation of the next day's quarterfinal match against Portugal. But later scuffles erupted between German and English fans with some of them singing World War II songs. Police said only a few arrests have been made. "Namely one person who threw bottles, and one person was injured. There were several minor scuffles which we could end quickly thanks to large police presence," said spokesman Johannes Schafers. He added that his unit had asked for even more police support, to bring the situation under complete control. (AP)