Sixteen charged over Man Utd-Roma clashes

LONDON, Apr 11 (Reuters) Police charged 16 men today after scuffles between English and Italian soccer fans outside Manchester United's stadium before their emphatic Champions League defeat of AS Roma.

Twelve English fans and four Italians were charged with a range of public order offences, including carrying knives, and were due to appear in court in Manchester.

Riot police were deployed when rival supporters hurled missiles at each other during a series of ugly skirmishes as they queued outside the Old Trafford stadium yesterday.

Police on horseback kept fans apart, while dog units and officers equipped with batons arrested suspected troublemakers. Several supporters were led away with blood pouring from head wounds.

A North West Ambulance Service spokeswoman said four people were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The trouble was quickly contained by police. It came after a calm afternoon in the city centre where fans of both sides mixed amicably in the spring sunshine.

Police had been prepared for trouble after disturbances at last week's first leg when Italian police clashed with United fans inside Rome's Olympic Stadium.

A Manchester police spokesman said there were a ''number of small and isolated incidents'' before the game, watched by a crowd of nearly 75,000, including about 4,000 Italians.

The English side stunned AS Roma with a 7-1 victory that sent them into the semi-finals of the Champions League, the most prestigious tournament for European clubs.

REUTERS BJR KN1851