For a sport that is known as the beautiful game, football can spark intense ugliness in the form of fan clashes. In latest reports of violence at the ongoing Euro 2016 championship, at least 36 people have been arrested in Lille following clashes between French police and football fans. The French police added that 16 people had been taken to hospital so far, in an indication that the dangerous start to Euro 2016, thanks to violent fans shows no signs of abating.

Some great football is being played in the shadow of horrendous fan behaviour. In Marseille, England and Russia fans clashed during a game on June 11. The Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) had even threatened to disqualify England from Euro 2016 if there was more violence. Even as the tourney goes on, police and other fans are bracing for more violence. All measures have proved futile till now, and we can expect more strife as the teams whittle down and the competition takes a keener edge.