BRUSSELS: Belgian police broke up a brawl between fans of Belgian soccer club Anderlecht and London side Tottenham Hotspur on the eve of their Europa League match in Brussels in a reminder of previous violent encounters between the two.

Police said they arrived at a bar near Brussels' Midi Station late on Wednesday and saw a large group of people fighting.

"There were about 50 Tottenham supporters who said they were enjoying a quiet beer when a large group, some say 40, others 60, of Anderlecht supporters attacked them," a police spokeswoman said.

No one was detained, but police were still investigating the matter. Anderlecht's mayor had banned Tottenham supporters travelling without a ticket from coming near the stadium, she added.

"We had already planned a large police presence because this is a high-risk match," the spokeswoman said.

Anderlecht and Tottenham supporters have developed a violent rivalry over the years. In 1984 a Tottenham fan was killed ahead of the two clubs' UEFA Cup final first leg, which Tottenham won on penalties in the second leg in London.

There was also violence in 2007, when Tottenham player Didier Zokora required treatment after being hit by a lighter thrown by Anderlecht supporters.