Criminal intelligence chiefs are warning that English thugs will cause trouble at Euro 2000 next month.
Following ugly and tragic scenes as Leeds United and then Arsenal fans clashed with their Galatasaray counterparts in Istanbul and Copenhagen, officials have admitted that a hard core of hooligans could still bring terror to the streets of Holland and Belgium.
"There's a nasty significant minority, always without tickets, that follows England abroad," National Criminal Intelligence Unit spokesman Mark Steeles told Radio 5 Live.
"There were more than 300 English fans arrested during the last World Cup, and they have caused trouble at every single one of England's qualifying away matches for Euro 2000.
"There has been a noticeable increase in violent incidents this season, and I just think it would be flying in the face of reality to try to pretend that there won't be trouble and that some English louts won't be at the heart of it."
Steeles admitted his organisation is hugely disappointed by the decision of Danish police not to charge any of those English fans arrested in Copenhagen following trouble before last Wednesday's UEFA Cup final between Arsenal and Galatasaray.
British Home Office minister Lord Bassam, meanwhile, has admitted current legislation limits the British government in what they can do to stop potential troublemakers travelling abroad - but he urged the continental authorities to deal with offenders in uncompromising fashion.
Meanwhile, in Scotland Hearts enjoyed the perfect end to the season as goals from Juanjo and Gary McSwegan gave them their first derby win of the campaign against Hibernian and ensured the Edinburgh club would be playing in Europe next season. Hearts needed at least a draw to secure their place in the UEFA Cup. Hibs scored through Mixu Paatelainen.
Henrik Larsson returned to the Celtic fold as Kenny Dalglish offered a bright insight into the club's future against Dundee United.
The Swedish international had begged his boss to give him a run-out in the final game of the season to prove his fitness to his international bosses ahead of Euro 2000.
Larsson played just 25 minutes but showed no visible signs of after-effects following his recovery from a broken leg. He shared centre stage with six young players in the 2-0 win.
France coach Roger Lemerre all but revealed his squad for Euro 2000 yesterday, naming a party of 18 players for a training camp at Clairefontaine that will begin on May 23rd.
With Laurent Blanc, Lilian Thuram, Christian Karembeu and Nicolas Anelka still on club duty it is now clear that, barring unforeseen circumstances such as injury, those four men will make up the party of 22 for the summer tournament to be co-staged by Holland and Belgium, which begins on June 10th.
"It is foreseeable that we will be 22 on Thursday night (after the Champions League Final)," said Lemerre, who will make no further comment until June 1st, when the official list must be submitted to UEFA.
"I claim in the step I have taken today a pattern of conduct which will lead naturally to those 18 names being joined by the four missing names to become the definitive list," said Lemerre, righthand man to predecessor Aime Jacquet in the victorious World Cup campaign.
France have three friendly matches to play before Euro 2000 and thus the party could be altered should there be any injuries. On May 28th they play Croatia in Zagreb while on June 4th and 6th they play Japan and Morocco respectively in the Hassan II tournament in Casablanca.
France (Training squad): F Barthez (Monaco), B Lama (Paris SG), U Rame (Bordeaux), B Lizarazu (Bayern Munich), M Desailly (Chelsea), F Leboeuf (Chelsea), V Candela (Roma), Z Zidane (Juventus), Y Djorkaeff (Kaiserlautern), D Deschamps (Chelsea), P Vieira (Arsenal), E Petit (Arsenal), R Pires (Marseille), J Micoud (Bordeaux), T Henry (Arsenal), D Trezeguet (Monaco), S Wiltord (Bordeaux), C Dugarry (Bordeaux). Expected to join squad: L Blanc (Inter Milan), L Thuram (Parma), C Karembeu (Real Madrid), N Anelka (Real Madrid).
