Legia Warsaw fans injure three police officers on rampage outside Villa Park before being barred from entering stadium and kept in a car park... but some manage to BREAK IN during first-half as Polish club blame Aston Villa for violence

Three police officers were injured outside Villa Park after missiles were thrown at them by Legia Warsaw fans.

The Europa Conference League tie between Aston Villa and Legia began without any away fans inside the stadium, with the travelling supporters contained in a car park behind the Witton Lane stand after clashing with police.

Mail Sport understands that Legia were unhappy with their reduced allocation after Villa reduced their ticket allocation to just 890 based on advice from the police and Safety Advisory Group.

UEFA rules allow the visiting team five per cent of the stadium’s capacity, which would equal 2,100 tickets at Villa Park.

Birmingham Police tweeted: ‘We're currently unable to allow away fans into Villa Park following disorder outside the stadium which has seen missiles thrown at officers.

'Three officers have already been injured & a significant policing operation continues. Please avoid Witton Lane where possible.'

In an official statement from Legia, they accused Villa of refusing to allocate tickets to away fans in accordance with UEFA regulations for a UEFA Europa Conference League match.

'Legia Warsaw hereby announces, owing to the actions taken by Aston Villa F.C. as the host club, that its official delegation, the board of directors, and the club's owner and president, Dariusz Mioduski, will regrettably not be in attendance at the host stadium during the forthcoming UEFA Europa Conference League match.

'Instead of diffusing potential pre-match tensions, restrictive measures of Aston Villa F.C. as the host club needlessly exacerbate the atmosphere. In our view, such measures are counterproductive and unfounded.

'In a recent development, Aston Villa FC has firmly declined to adhere to UEFA competition regulations by refusing to allocate the stipulated pool of tickets for visiting supporters. As per UEFA competition regulations, visiting fans are entitled to a ticket allocation equivalent to 5% of the stadium's capacity. For matches hosted at the grounds of Aston Villa F.C., this translates to a pool of 2,100 tickets. Legia Warsaw, as the visiting contingent, made a formal request for this allocation but was met with an unwelcome rejection.

Engaged in fruitful discussions with Aston Villa F.C. representatives, Legia Warsaw had put forward a compromise solution, proposing an allocation of 1,700 tickets for their loyal supporters—a figure mirroring the number allocated to English club fans journeying to Warsaw. This proposal was officially accepted and duly documented in the UEFA delegate's report, dated September 21.

'In light of this agreement, Legia Warsaw's supporters commenced their preparations for the journey across the English Channel, incurring various costs, including airline tickets and hotel reservations.

'However, on November 2, Legia Warsaw received an unexpected and revised decision regarding the ticket allocation, which blatantly disregarded the prior agreements. The number of tickets was slashed to a mere 890, representing a staggering reduction of over 50%.

'Faced with this untenable situation, Legia Warsaw has lodged repeated appeals with Aston Villa F.C., urging them to honour the regulations set forth on September 21.

'In light of the breach of UEFA regulations and to address this pressing issue, Legia Warsaw has decided to dispatch its representatives to England well in advance of the UEFA Europa League match, scheduled for November 27. These representatives engaged in intensive negotiations with all relevant stakeholders, articulating the club's unwavering stance on allowing fans access while ensuring match-day security.

'In addition, today, we have been obstructed from obtaining VIP tickets for our sponsors and team guests in line with the existing UEFA standards.'

Having been held outside as the game got underway, some fans managed to break in to Villa Park during the first half, and could be heard cheering from behind a wall when Legia equalised after Moussa Diaby's early opener. 

Stewards were seen escorting some supporters out after they managed to get into Villa Park. 

Legia supporters made their way towards Villa Park ahead of kick-off, but were met with a barrier and a wall of police officers wearing helmets with visors to protect themselves.

The fans appeared to grow frustrated and flares were let off as they were penned in by the police.

On the pitch, tonight's game promises to be an intriguing battle between Group E's top two sides.

Villa and Legia are level on nine points after four matches, and both teams will be looking to book their place in the knockout stages with a victory.

Legia won the reverse fixture in September as they beat Unai Emery's men 3-2 in Poland.