Roman riot as United fall in Italy

Ten fans were reported to have been admitted to hospital with knife wounds - all of them believed to be English. One man was stabbed in the neck before the match.

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The flashpoint seemed to be Paul Scholes' 33rd-minute sending off for a second bookable offence in the Champions League quarter-final against Roma, when United fans clashed with around 200 police on the terraces.

Dozens of missiles, including bottles and seats, were hurled and the trouble continued until half-time when police made a major charge that scattered hundreds of United fans.

Earlier, fans among United's estimated 6,000 following - 1,500 of whom travelled without tickets - were attacked by Roma thugs as they walked the last few hundred yards to the ground.

After the match, police threwtear gas as they struggled to keep control outside the ground. UEFA will launch an inquiry into the trouble, which follows problems between United fans and French police when they played Lille at Lens' stadium last month. United were later fined over £6,000.

William Gaillard, UEFA's communications director, said: "We had a number of meetings with police forces because with all the incidents we have had this year we are in an emergency situation and it is definitely very sad to see these scenes in European football."

United fan Kerry Davies, 30, who was in the Olympic Stadium, said: "It happens to every team or country that comes here. But nothing will happen, it never does.

"Before the game we were attacked by Roma fans with machetes and knives and the police tear-gassed us. One guy was talking to a steward and two police ran at him and one cracked him across the face with a baton.

"England and Germany are the only two countries who know how to hold a game."

United had incurred the wrath of Roma officials for sending a warning letter to fans urging them to be cautious after three Middlesbrough supporters were stabbed before a UEFA Cup tie against Roma last season.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson refused to discuss the trouble, insisting: "I'm only happy to talk about the football."

But he was furious with referee Fandel and Roma's Cristian Chivu for the dismissal of Scholes, who will miss the second leg at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.

Ferguson said: "I don't think we can complain about the first booking at all, it was a booking. But for the second, a good referee wouldn't have sent him off. Chivu got him sent off. He was encouraging the referee to book him again.

"The referee had told us that anybody encouraging a player to be sent off would be sent off himself. That was not the case.

"It's left us in a difficult situation. We'll miss Scholes at Old Trafford, but we can get a side out to win the match. If we score at Old Trafford we'll get through."

Chivu was in no doubt about the red card, however, claiming: "They were bad fouls. He deserved to get sent off and the ref got it right."

Serb Mirko Vucinic snatched a 66th-minute winner to give Roma the edge, but the goal of the night came from Wayne Rooney after Cristiano Ronaldo and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave him the chance.

Rooney has struggled for goals recently, but Ferguson said: "It helps us even more. He showed fantastic composure for a boy of 21 in front of goal in such a big game. It would have been easy to hit it right away."

Roma had taken the lead through Brazilian Taddei before half-time, and Ferguson said: "What a great atmosphere and noise - I'd play these games every week."