LONDON: Extra police will be on duty for tomorrow’s potentially explosive League Cup semi-final between bitter rivals Manchester United and Manchester City amid fears the tie could turn ugly.
NO LOVE LOST: Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez celebrates his goal in front of Manchester United supporters during the first leg at City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, in this Jan 19 file photo. — Reuters photo
City won the first leg 2-1 at Eastlands but the clash was marred by fighting in and outside Eastlands which led police to make 18 arrests.
A furious verbal spat between City striker Carlos Tevez and United defender Gary Neville, which saw both players gesture at each other during the game, has raised the temperature even further.
Tevez described Neville as a ‘bootlicker’ and a ‘moron’ after the match and, with 9,000 City fans set to make the short trip across Manchester, police are taking no chances.
An additional 75 police will be on duty and spot checks will be made at pubs around the ground in what is described as ‘the highest risk’ game at Old Trafford this season.
Ian Hopkins, assistant chief constable of Greater Manchester police, revealed talks would take place with United and City officials and the Football Association in a bid to prevent any trouble.
He told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek: “I will be meeting with both the clubs again along with the FA to discuss the general crowd behaviour and making sure that they understand their responsibility not to do anything that’s likely to incite the crowd.
“We will be making the points very strongly that the players are professionals, they need to recognise the impact they can have on the crowd and it’s going to be really passionate again on Wednesday.
“There’s a lot at stake for both teams and for the fans.”
Meanwhile, Tevez’s agent Kia Joorabchian has admitted Neville’s claims that United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was right not to keep the Argentine when he was on loan at Old Trafford could lead to another flash-point in the second leg.
Joorabchian told Sportweek: “Carlos played two years at Manchester United and he has very good relationships with a lot of the players.
“He admires and likes Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra and Ryan Giggs and he considers a lot of them friends of his.
“I don’t think he will expect to have any atmosphere in relation to the players. But I guess he and Gary Neville are not going to be very good friends any time shortly.
“If you don’t have respect and class you have to accept that they are entitled to say something back. Gary Neville stepped into something that maybe he shouldn’t have done and since he didn’t have that respect Carlos felt he had to answer.” — AFP