UEFA have released the results of a four-year study into the behaviour of supporter groups at European matches and declared one team's set of fans as the worst. Now which supporter group could be so bad as to warrant being singled out as the worst? Surely it must be an Italian team after all the stories that have been sensationalised by the media?

Maybe Roma - they were heavily criticised after their  Champions League quarter-final against Manchester United and caused the retirement of referee Anders Frisk after he was struck by a projectile at the Stadio Olimpico. Or perhaps Inter, who have been involved in several incidents including throwing flares at Milan players in that fateful Champions League match.

Well, it's not an Italian club. Although they may have a poor record they are, according to UEFA, somewhat civilised compared to the low-lifes identified as the worst supporters in Europe who steal tickets "out of the hands of children."

So who are the degenerates UEFA claim are the worst behaved? None other than Liverpool’s very finest. Apparently, over the last four years "undercover police agents from a neutral European force" have been compiling reports for UEFA and concluded that Anfield supporters are the worst in Europe.

UEFA spokesman William Gaillard told Reuters: 'The incidents involving Liverpool fans have been well known to us before the trouble at the Champions League Final which involved Liverpool fans.

'That was just the latest example. What other set of fans steal tickets from their fellow supporters or out of the hands of children? We know what happened in Athens, and Liverpool fans were the cause of most of the trouble there.

'There have been 25 incidents involving Liverpool fans away from home since 2003 and these are in the report -- most teams' supporters do not cause any trouble at all.''

Well I'm sure this news will be followed by outraged English journalists demanding heavy sanctions and reform in all English clubs, much as they did when there was trouble in Rome and Seville earlier this year. Surely the land of the 'best league in the world' wouldn't be hypocritical about all this. . .