Police push Zbrojovka Brno fans onto railway tracks at Prague's Eden Stadium

Clashes broke out between police and visiting fans after Slavia Prague's match against Zbrojovka Brno at the Eden Stadium, as supporters made their way to the special train chartered to bring them from Brno and back. According to the fans, police used flashbang grenades to physically force the crowd onto the railway tracks.

Fans recounted the events via the Podcast FLINTA account on X, saying they were held for more than 20 minutes inside the stadium and roughly the same amount of time outside it. On the final 250 metres to the train, police failed to keep a clear corridor open for the crowd. It was at this point that they crossed paths with Slavia supporters heading to their own train — one of whom threw beer at the visiting fans. Mounted police then stepped in, deploying flashbang grenades and pushing the crowd straight onto the tracks.

Footage posted by the Hooligans.cz Official account shows one officer using a telescopic baton against fans, while several people can be seen standing on the tracks, visibly disoriented.

Police: the incident was minor

Prague police spokesman Richard Gerdina told the outlet that no serious incident had taken place. "While escorting fans to the train, a few individuals disobeyed police instructions and created a safety hazard by running onto the tracks. Three people were detained on the spot and dealt with through on-the-spot fines," he said.

Despite the scuffle, the Zbrojovka train departed on schedule, carrying all 660 supporters who had travelled from Brno for the match back home. Before kick-off, police had also briefly detained and handcuffed several fans near the stadium as they got off the train, though none were held in Prague — the spokesman did not specify the reason for those detentions.

Some Zbrojovka fans were already irritated by the heavy police presence on the way to the match, but by their own account the situation never spiralled out of control. "We're all heading back to Brno together, on the train. The initial trouble was caused by Slavia fans — two of them started a confrontation as we were leaving the stadium. In the end, police dealt with them, and our lads were let through to the carriages," said Lukáš Winkler, who serves as a liaison between Zbrojovka supporters and the club.

The club had warned its fans in advance via its website that they would need to remain in their section of the stadium for about 20 minutes after the final whistle.

A celebration despite a crushing defeat

Buoyed by the team's strong form and its lead at the top of the Czech league table, Zbrojovka fans bought out both the entire special train and their section at Eden, which held more than a thousand people. Despite a 0:4 thrashing, they treated the match at Slavia as a grand celebration of a new era for their club.

Ninety minutes of non-stop support ended with a thank-you gesture from the fans that moved even the players, who were crushed by the scoreline on the pitch. "Unbelievable, incredible. We looked at each other afterwards in the dressing room — down about the result, but we immediately told each other we owe it to these people to repay what they do for us, how they support us. That we have to show it in the matches to come. In a week we've got the home derby against Artis, and there can be no answer other than a win," Zbrojovka midfielder Patrik Čavoš told the fans.

Read also: The Best Beer Halls, Pubs and Breweries in Prague: 15 Places for Real Czech Beer

Around Prague, based on reporting by brnensky.denik.cz