Tottenham will be hoping to qualify for the last 16 of the Europa League with a result in Florence (Picture: Getty Images)

Tottenham fans preparing to enjoy their trip to watch Mauricio Pochettino’s side take on Fiorentina in Italy on Thursday will be left disappointed – after the city decided to impose a 24-hour booze ban.

Authorities in Florence have barred bars and supermarkets from selling alcohol – beginning at midnight on Wednesday – ahead of Spurs’ Europa League last-32 second-leg match against Fiorentina.

The move comes just a week after 23 Dutch fans were arrested after violence erupted in Rome before the Europa League game between Roma and Feyenoord, with Tottenham supporters set to be greeted by about 1,300 police in Florence on Thursday.

While he admitted that such measures were a good idea, Spurs coach Pochettino insisted the club’s fans will have no problems behaving well during their trip to Italy.




‘Our fans are very respectful. In the games we’ve played before in the Europa League, in Cyprus, Serbia, Greece and Turkey, the behaviour of our fans was and there were no problems. Tomorrow is a day for our fans to enjoy the game,’ he said.

‘I think it’s maybe better to be careful but our supporters’ behaviour was fantastic for the last three games behaviour was fantastic.’

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