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Two Chelsea fans ‘stabbed’ ahead of Champions League tie with Napoli as supporters urged to take ‘extreme caution’

Two fans have been treated in hospital

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Napoli Ultras ahead of the game against Eintract Frankfurt
Napoli Ultras ahead of the game against Eintract Frankfurt. Picture: Alamy

By StephenRigley

Chelsea have told fans to take "extreme caution" in Naples after two supporters were treated in hospital ahead of their Champions League tie in the Italian city.

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Napoli and Chelsea meet at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Wednesday night in the competition's final round of group games.

"The club is aware of an incident that took place on Tuesday evening in Naples," Chelsea posted on their official X account.

"Two fans are being treated in hospital, having sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

"The club would like to remind all supporters to exercise extreme caution whilst in the city and take note of the advice shared ahead of this fixture."

One Chelsea fan claimed in a social media post last night that a knife was pulled on him and five supporters in an Irish bar "for speaking English".

It is not known if it is in relation to the same incident.

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Italian media said one fan had been 'stabbed in the buttock' and had been discharged from the Vecchio Pellegrini Hospital.

Chelsea are hoping to seal a top-eight finish in the Champions League group phase that would secure a place in the last 16 of the competition and avoid them playing in next month's play-off round.

In October, Napoli and Sporting Lisbon fans brawled and threw chairs at each other ahead of their Champions League match.

In March 2023, violence again flared up ahead of a game with Eintract Frankfurt with five Napoli fans being arrested in one night. Two police officers were injured with cars set alight as one German fan was stabbed and eight others wounded.