Fans battle in Brussels

Belgian police on Euro 2000 duty in Brussels

Armed police seized a knife-wielding man as they tackled street violence following Italy's 2-0 victory over Euro 2000 co-hosts Belgium.

Supporters clashed in central Brussels, with eyewitnesses reporting a pitched battle involving about 40 people hurling bottles and chairs at each other outside the Bourse.

Police in riot gear were deployed and at least two people were arrested, including a 20-year-old Belgian who fired four rounds from a starting pistol.

The trouble was the second major outbreak of hooliganism during Euro 2000 so far.

On the first night of the tournament, police in Brussels launched baton charges and fired tear gas at several hundred revellers celebrating Belgium's win against Sweden.

Old rivals

Around Belgian 2,000 police officers will be on duty in Charleroi for this weekend's Group A meeting between England and Germany.

The match between the two old rivals is seen by Euro 2000 security chiefs as one of the most potentially explosive of the tournament.

However, England fans were praised by Dutch police for their good behaviour both during and after their team's defeat by Portugal in Eindhoven.

Only two arrests were made after the game, but the Belgian authorities will be on full alert for the England-Germany match.

With one eye on a potential encounter between their teams in the quarter-finals, executives from the English FA and the Turkish Football Federation have met in Holland.

The two sides discussed ways of preventing any repeat of the violence which left two Leeds fans dead in Instanbul and marred the build-up to the Uefa Cup final between Arsenal and Galatasaray.