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Feyenoord match interrupted by crowd trouble

Players of Feyenoord leave the pitch after referee Clement Turpin of France (L) called for a pause due to supporter unrest during their Europa League round of 32 second leg soccer match against AS Roma at the Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, February 26, 2015. REUTERS/Michael Kooren (Reuters)

(Reuters) - Feyenoord's Europa League match with AS Roma was suspended for 10 minutes in the second half on Thursday when home supporters hurled objects onto the field after one of the Dutch side's players had been sent off. The game, considered high risk after Feyenoord fans went on the rampage in Rome before last week's opening leg, was also briefly halted in the first half as match officials removed a giant plastic banana which was thrown onto the pitch. Roma, who won 2-1, were leading 1-0 when the referee led the players off the pitch in the 55th minute of the last 32 second leg match, after Feyenoord's Mitchell Te Vrede was given a straight red card for a dangerous tackle from behind. The teams returned about 10 minutes later and almost immediately substitute Elvis Manu equalised for the hosts, who had substitute goalkeeper Erwin Mulder sent from the bench for an incident during the celebrations. However, Ivory Coast forward Gervinho put Roma 2-1 in front three minutes later to give them a 3-2 win on aggregate. “It was right to suspend play as we could have opened a shop with all the objects that were thrown from the stands,” Roma coach Rudi Garcia told Italy's Mediaset channel. The match was staged in a tense atmosphere after Feyenoord fans went on the rampage before last week's first leg in Rome, causing damage to a 500-year-old fountain which experts said could not be repaired. The Barcaccia, a boat-shaped fountain at the foot of the Spanish Steps, was chipped by beer bottles thrown and kicked by Dutch supporters. Police fired teargas to clear hundreds of fans and detained 23 of them. Six more were later arrested for causing injury, resisting arrest and insulting public officials. (Writing by Brian Homewood; editing by Ken Ferrris)