The utter chaos that erupted in the Italian city centre of Naples on Wednesday evening has been astonishingly praised by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
It was a scene of terror in the streets prior to Napoli's round-of-16 Champions League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt as 'ultras' of the Italian side rioted in the city and damaged property.
Cars, including a police vehicle, were set ablaze, projectiles were thrown, and windows were smashed in by fans. Now their behaviour has been praised by the Napoli chief who admitted he is 'proud' of their thuggish behaviour.
Speaking at a press conference that was held on Thursday morning in response to the horrific scenes that dominated headlines, De Laurentiis drew bizarre comparisons to English football and the actions of former conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
'Probably those who shout 'Naples is us' yesterday were outside the stadium, chasing the Germans in the city or guerrilla warfare with the police. And yesterday Maradona was an English stadium.
'And I am proud to have given this image to people, to those who have followed us on TV all over the world.
'Now politics has to deal with the problem and I hope that [Giorgia] Meloni will do as the only prime minister who had the courage: the British Margaret Thatcher. La Uefa?
'It represents itself. Just think of what happened in Paris for the Champions League final... [Ursula] Von der Leyen must also ask herself the problem.
'Because in Europe there are tens of millions of fans who must be respected and protected, compared to a violent fringe'.
Further criminal acts then took place as riot police arrived to try and disperse the crowds that had formed in some of the city's historic streets as the situation risked escalating further.
Police were eventually able to get everything under control and Italian outlet Gazzetta report that eight people - five Italians and three Germans - were arrested for their violent participation.
Tensions were already elevated in the build-up to the Champions League knockout clash after Napoli had refused German supporters travelling from Frankfurt tickets for the match after previous altercations in the first-leg encounter.
Hundreds of the Bundesliga club's supporters still made their way to the city to try and support their team who trailed 2-0 on aggregate and were marshalled by police through the Piazza del Gesu before clashing with Napoli 'ultras'.
De Laurentiis also made the suggestion that visiting fans were to blame for the troubles as he accused them of 'smoking marijuana'.
'Sport is such if the fans are healthy. And families must go to the stadium, not those who want to sell or smoke marijuana.