When Chelsea Fans Turned Wrocław Into a War Zone (And I Watched It All Unfold)

By Lewis Barnett 27 May, 2025 6 mins read 92 Views

God, what a mess.

I've covered football violence for eight years now, but watching Chelsea and Real Betis fans tear apart the cobbled streets of Wrocław today left me genuinely shaken. The Conference League final is supposed to be tomorrow - a celebration, you know? Instead, I'm sitting in my hotel room at 11:47 PM writing about riot police hosing down supporters with tear gas like they're putting out a fire.

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The Moment Everything Went Sideways

It started around 3 PM local time. I was grabbing coffee near the main square when I heard the first crash of glass. By the time I got my phone out, chairs were already flying through the air like some twisted carnival game. Five Chelsea lads - couldn't have been older than 22 - were absolutely pelting a building where other fans had barricaded themselves behind a massive "London only" banner.

The sound was horrific. Just constant smashing and this primal shouting that made my skin crawl.

Polish riot police don't mess around, apparently. They stormed in wearing full gear and doused the aggressors with tear gas so thick I could taste it from 50 meters away. My eyes were streaming for twenty minutes after.

Two Pubs, One Very Stupid War

But that wasn't even teh worst of it. (My editor's going to kill me for that typo, but honestly, I'm too tired to care right now.)

About an hour later, I witnessed what can only be described as medieval siege warfare between two different pubs. Supporters from each side were lobbing bottles, glasses, whatever they could grab, using the doorways as cover. It was like watching a really violent game of dodgeball, except nobody was laughing and the projectiles could actually kill someone.

A local bartender I spoke to - let's call him Tomasz because he begged me not to use his real name - told me he's never seen anything like it in fifteen years of working downtown. "These people are insane," he said in broken English while sweeping up glass that used to be his front window. "Tomorrow they play football. Today they play war."

Poor Enzo Had No Clue

Meanwhile, Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca was dealing with his own drama. Turns out Mykhailo Mudryk - you know, the £62 million winger who's currently banned for testing positive for meldonium - just showed up in Wrocław unannounced. Wearing a full Chelsea tracksuit. At a steakhouse.

When reporters asked Maresca about it during the press conference, the man looked like he'd seen a ghost at a family reunion. "To be honest, I just... Is he here or is he coming? He's here. I'm happy for Misha to be here." Then he basically repeated himself because what else do you say when your suspended player crashes your European final?

Mudryk apparently told fans he's here to "collect a medal" after tomorrow's match. The audacity is almost impressive.

What This Really Means

Listen, I get it. Football passion runs deep, adn European finals bring out emotions that people didn't even know they had. But watching grown men turn a beautiful Polish city into a battlefield over a game that hasn't even been played yet? It's embarrassing.

The Blues have a real chance to win their first major European trophy since 2021 tomorrow. Their fans should be celebrating, not giving the sport another black eye that'll dominate headlines for all the wrong reasons.

I texted my colleague who covers Real Betis - he's been following their supporters all day and says they've been mostly peaceful, just singing and drinking in designated areas. Makes you wonder what's in the water back in London.

As I'm writing this, sirens are still echoing through the old town. Tomorrow's final kicks off at 9 PM local time, and honestly? I'm more worried about what happens in the stands than on the pitch.

This story is developing. Follow @TheSunFootball for updates, though hopefully the next ones involve actual football instead of street warfare.

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How To

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