A GWENT man was stabbed with a bottle in an incident involving Newport County and Cardiff City fans in Milan, ahead of Wales' clash with Italy.

Jan Hodges, 21, of Baneswell, Newport, needed hospital treatment after being injured as scuffles allegedly broke out between rival club fans on Friday night.

Three people were taken to hospital, including Mr Hodges, although all were released the next day. One of those injured suffered a broken shoulder.

Eleven Welsh fans were arrested following an incident at a restaurant in the canal area of the city. They are thought to include a Newport man.

Two were later released. Nine were detained in custody after appearing before a court in Milan on Saturday.

They were due back at court today.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office confirmed details of the incident but was unable to release names until families had been informed.

During the game itself on Saturday night Welsh fans were attacked as their team lost 4-0 to Italy in the crucial European qualifier.

Inside the stadium 8,000 Wales fans were placed below a section of Italians, some of whom pelted them with missiles including urine-filled bottles.

One Newport County fan branded seating arrangements a disgrace.

Rob Santwris, an organiser of the Amber Army supporters' group, wants the Welsh FA to investigate why fans were placed in the tier below the Italians.

Speaking from Italy yesterday, Mr Santwris said: "Why the Welsh FA accepted seating in that position is beyond me. The idiots above us threw bottles filled with urine, coins, and anything they could get their hands on.

"I was spat on six times and hit by urine bottles, there were kids there who were really scared. The Italian police did nothing to stop them and a lot of decent Welsh fans were so angry they might have done something stupid. This shouldn't be allowed to happen again. If we'd been sat elsewhere there wouldn't have been any trouble."

A Foreign Office spokesman said those fans arrested in Milan were being offered consular advice.