Steaua and Poli Timișoara fans clash in Sibiu, gendarmes use tear gas

Clashes in the city centre

Supporters of Steaua București and Poli Timișoara arrived in central Sibiu around 12:00 on Thursday 8 October, hours before their round 9 Liga 2 match. Steaua fans gathered in Piața Mare and Poli Timișoara fans in Piața Mică, with gendarmerie cordons keeping the two groups apart. Around 13:40, chanting between the groups turned into attempts to break through the cordons and start a fight. Reports describe benches overturned, bottles thrown and several bins destroyed in the central area, where many passers-by were present.

Police response

Gendarmes used tear gas spray to push the groups back and asked for reinforcements to secure the perimeter. According to the Mobile Gendarmerie Group Brașov, officers were struck with bottles and urban furniture before the equipment was used. Over 1,000 supporters came from Bucharest, and gendarmes from Sibiu, Brașov and Timișoara were mobilised, according to Știrile ProTV. Some supporters affected by the gas needed help, and others were placed in gendarmerie vans. Adrian Andraș of the Brașov group described how the deployment worked:

They tried, there are different gangs there, trying to move from one square to another, but our colleagues were positioned in such a way that they were stopped and did not meet each other, they did not make contact with one another. There were a few clashes.

Threats and pyrotechnics

Passers-by filming the scene were also targeted, and one report says a reporter was warned he was in danger if he kept filming. A supporter was reported to have said they could destroy everything around them, including shops and terraces. Fireworks and other pyrotechnic materials were set off on pedestrian streets while both groups kept shouting insults at each other. Gendarmes also asked the public not to make contact with the groups or respond to provocations. Later, the groups sat down at terraces in the area under gendarme supervision.

Sanctions and investigations

As of the time of the statement, gendarmes had issued 12 contravention sanctions totalling 3,300 lei. In one case, a 100 lei fine was accompanied by a ban on attending competitions and sporting games for six months. Gendarmes also recorded three criminal offences: two involving pyrotechnic materials and one involving possession of prohibited substances. Three supporters received medical care at the scene but later refused transport to hospital. Investigations continue to identify everyone involved, and operational camera footage will be reviewed.

Match arrangements

The match is being played at the Stadionul Municipal in Sibiu, with kickoff at 18:00, because Timișoara has no stadium suitable for a night match. Poli Timișoara, newly promoted and second in the table, also used the Sibiu arena for its Cupa României group match against Rapid. Gendarmes advised residents to avoid the city centre and the stadium area, to use public transport rather than private cars, and not to engage with fans. After the match, supporters will leave in a controlled way, at staggered times and on separate routes.