Manchester United are to seek
advice from the authorities before their scheduled Champions
League match against AS Roma in Italy on Dec. 12.
Italian soccer was rocked by fan violence sparked by the
shooting of a Lazio supporter by a policeman at the weekend.
Fans of the English champions were also involved in violent
clashes in Rome in April when they met Roma in the first leg of
their quarter-final tie.
United have received 1,800 applications for the Group F
clash in Rome even though they have already qualified for the
knockout round.
A United spokesman said: "We are aware of the situation in
Italy and will take advice from the Foreign Office, UEFA and the
Italian authorities. Obviously the safety of our supporters is
the most important issue here."
Many supporters have applied for tickets for the Roma match
in the belief it will give them a better chance of getting
tickets for the later rounds, but United said fans would not
suffer if they did not go to Rome.
European soccer's governing body UEFA said United fans
needed to be aware that the situation was dangerous.
"I am sure United are dealing with the situation as best
they can and we have no formal opinion on whether fans should
travel or not," William Gaillard, special advisor to UEFA
president Michel Platini, told Reuters.
"But the club need to explain to fans about the current
situation. It's a dangerous situation at the moment, it's not
like walking to a match in Manchester or travelling to London
and the fans need to be told this."
In Italy, police have said the fatal shooting of Lazio fan
Gabriele Sandri on Sunday was accidental. The unnamed officer is
under investigation for manslaughter and has been re-assigned to
internal duties.