Football
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UEFA inspector to seek answers over Arsenal-Cologne crowd trouble

A UEFA inspector will seek answers from Arsenal and Cologne over the cause of the crowd trouble that marred last week's Europa League meeting between the sides at the Emirates Stadium.

European football's governing body said on Friday it had decided to appoint an ethics and disciplinary investigator in a bid to determine the circumstances surrounding the match on Sept. 14.

The game was delayed by an hour as ticketless Cologne fans tried to gain entry to the stadium. The visitors were issued with 3,000 tickets, but around 20,000 Cologne fans were believed to have made the journey to London.

Five arrests were made over the course of the evening and Arsenal announced last Friday they were conducting a full review of the night's events.

Cologne face four disciplinary charges -- crowd disturbances, setting off fireworks, throwing of objects and acts of damage -- while the Gunners have been charged for blocked stairways in the away supporters' section.

UEFA also announced Everton had been fined €10,000 (£8,875) for objects being thrown during their home Europa League tie with Hajduk Split last month, and Russian club Spartak Moscow have been banned from selling tickets to their supporters for their next Champions League away game after a flare nearly struck a referee during their draw at Maribor last week.

In the aftermath of Arsenal's win over Cologne, the Germans issued a statement where they apologised for the crowd disturbance but also criticised their small ticket allocation as well as the organisation around the event.

It was the club's first European fixture in 25 years and Cologne argued "organisers were unfortunately not adequately prepared for the task" and that the police presence was "too small."

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has previously said it would be "completely unfair" if Arsenal were to be sanctioned by UEFA, with the club themselves arguing they had worked "in full consultation with police and UEFA officials on the night and in advance of the game."

That contest was not the first Europa League tie hosted on English soil this season that was overshadowed by crowd trouble as Everton's tie with Hajduk Split also featured ugly scenes.

The game had to be halted for a few minutes in the first half after trouble flared in the away section before police and stewards restored control.

While announcing Everton's fine, UEFA also confirmed Hajduk had been fined €40,000 euros for the charges brought against them. The Croatian club have also been ordered to arrange a settlement with the Toffees for any damage done by their travelling supporters.

Meanwhile, Sevilla's manager Eduardo Berizzo has been suspended for their home game against Maribor later this month having been sent to the stands at Anfield for time-wasting.

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