Arsenal-Koln fracas draws UEFA probe

UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings Friday against Arsenal and Koln after a boisterous evening at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday turned chaotic.

Koln was charged with crowd disturbances, setting off fireworks, throwing objects, and other "acts of damage," according to an official statement. Arsenal, meanwhile, was booked for blocking stairways in the away section.

UEFA's Control, Ethics, and Disciplinary Board will hand out a verdict on Sept. 21.

The Gunners won the Europa League fixture 3-1, but only after an hour-long delay due to concerns over crowd safety.

Around 20,000 supporters travelled from Germany to witness Koln's first European encounter in 25 years.

The visiting side only had 3,000 tickets to give out, leaving thousands more to scramble for seats in other areas of the stadium.

Despite all the sensational headlines in the English press, just five arrests were made.

Arsenal said it will launch a review into the "circumstances surrounding the game and will ensure any lessons that can be learned are used in the future."