A bad week for the image of English football worsened last night when supporters of Tottenham Hotspur clashed with Spanish police during the first leg of their Uefa Cup quarter- final against Seville, 24 hours after 18 Manchester United fans required medical attention in the wake of their Champions League defeat in Rome.

Riot police were needed to separate rival fans outside Seville’s Ramón Sánchez- Pizjuán Stadium before kick-off. Less than half an hour into the match, trouble erupted in an enclosure behind the goal that Tottenham were defending and in which most of their 4,000 followers were sitting.

Punches were thrown by supporters and police wielded batons in scenes reminiscent of those seen in AS Roma’s Olympic Stadium. Seats were also ripped out and hurled at the police. It did not appear that home fans were involved.

The trouble continued during half-time and there were other disturbances, including the throwing of missiles, involving travelling fans around the ground. Although Tottenham had taken an early lead, Seville equalised with a controversial penalty and were 2-1 up at the interval. There was no further scoring in the second half and, with the police having moved away, no further trouble. A British Embassy official said that six fans had been arrested and six injured, including three who needed hospital treatment. Two policemen were also hurt.

As with many of the United fans who returned to Manchester yesterday, there were claims that the police had behaved in a heavy-handed manner. Daniel Wynne, of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, said: “I was in the upper tier and I had a perfect view. It was a massive overreaction by the police. It had been a fantastic day but, after the penalty, a couple of Spurs fans got a bit overexcited. The police got their batons out straight away.

“There was a guy in a wheelchair and the police just piled into him. A girl got hit and had blood all over her face. When the police moved away it all calmed down.”

Tottenham issued a statement late last night that said the club would support the inevitable investigation by Uefa, European football’s governing body, but which also questioned the Spanish police’s role in the trouble. “Our initial reports suggest there was no fan-to-fan fighting at any stage of the proceedings,” the club said. “As such we are seeking explanations as to why the police reacted in the way they did with our fans.”

Insult was added to the injuries of the United fans as Italian football authorities joined Rome police in condoning the terrifying scenes in the Olympic Stadium.

As well as the 18 United supporters, two Roma fans required medical attention for injuries sustained during their Champions League quarter- final first leg and in a pre-match ambush by the Italian club’s notorious “Ultra” supporters, which resulted in several stab wounds.

United expressed serious concern in a statement yesterday, citing “indiscriminate beatings” by the local Carabinieri and promising their assistance with a Government investigation into the disturbances. But club officials were shocked to hear comments from the Italian football federation (IFF) and the Rome police, who claimed the actions of their force were justified.

Uefa is likely to charge United for the “improper conduct” of their supporters, just as it did in the match against Lille, staged in Lens, in the previous round. United were fined £6,300 and could face more serious sanctions this time.

“The English press speak of heavy-handed police but we owe gratitude to our law enforcers. I don’t believe those who try to make games safe can be crucified in this manner,” Giancarlo Abete, the IFF president, said. Achille Serra, the Prefect of Rome, said: “The police were forced to intervene between two sets of violent fans and once you are in the middle of it you have to go in strong.”