Sir Alex in peace plea

Sir Alex Ferguson has called for peace ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with AS Roma in the Italian capital.

At this stage last season, ugly scenes in the stands marred the Reds’ visit to Rome as fans clashed with Roma supporters and police.

When the teams met earlier this season, however, there was less trouble in and around the Stadio Olimpico, although some United fans still reported problems.

“After the experience of last season, [the potential for violence] is definitely a concern,” Sir Alex conceded. “But the police, both the English and Italian forces, have been working hard to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

“Nobody wants to see a repeat of what happened last season. For the reputations of both clubs, we hope it’s a good, competitive game and nothing more.

“We want rivalry between the fans and there’s nothing wrong with that, so long as it’s just rivalry and the supporters’ energy is focused on supporting their own teams. If that happens then we can go back to Manchester happy in the knowledge that everything’s been peaceful.”

Football violence in Italy was again brought into focus over the weekend when a 28-year-old Parma fan was hit and killed by a bus at a motorway rest stop.

“We’re all sad when we hear of a young person losing his life,” Sir Alex said. “It’s difficult to control what happens both inside and outside the stadiums, but we were very sad to hear of the tragic news.”