Rome, April 9:

A top security official urged AS Roma fans to keep calm in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg match against Manchester United after the violence-marred match last week.

“Every effort needs to be made to avoid incidents,” Rome Prefect Achille Serra said on Monday, before boarding a charter plane carrying 300 Roma fans to England. Another 20 planes are scheduled to depart on Tuesday with 3,000 more Roma supporters. Roma won the first leg 2-1 as police clashed with some of United’s 4,500 fans. Police used batons as opposing fans taunted and threw objects at each other.

Serra has defended the conduct of Italian police against complaints from United fans that the police overreacted. He said United’s fans started the violence and that police were just defending themselves. Serra said he “hopes that the (Roma) fans provide an example of maturity and good behavior, like they did for the Lyon game.” No incidents of fan violence were reported after Roma’s 2-0 win at Lyon in the previous round.

“In Lyon, they were an example of civility. I’m sure they will show the same behavior in Manchester,” Serra told the ANSA news agency.