Up to 300 fans involved in a brawl after soccer friendly in Germany

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Police in Germany are investigating violent clashes involving up to 300 soccer fans following a friendly between local team Schalke and Dutch club NAC Breda.

Police said there were “mass clashes” involving up to 200 Schalke fans and around 100 from Breda on Wednesday night at Schalke's reserve stadium, and officers used their batons to intervene.

"Several people" were hurt but they left the scene, police said.

There was no word on whether any suspects were detained, though police said they identified some people who they believed to be involved.

“If the police now need to protect supposed ‘friendly’ games with a massive police presence, then a further line of escalation has been crossed,” senior local police official Peter Both said in a statement.

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