Police shoot man wielding weapons ahead of Euro 2024 game in Germany

German authorities say they do not know if the incident was related to the Poland-Netherlands match that was being held in the city a few hours later.

Police say the man carried a small explosive in his backpack. Source: AAP / Bodo Marks/DPA

Police have shot a 39-year-old man wielding an axe in the German city of Hamburg, one of the ten cities hosting matches for the UEFA Euro 2024.

The bigger picture: The man came out of a pub in the Reeperbahn region, an area popular with tourists, and started waving his axe threateningly towards police and other bystanders.

Police say they repeatedly asked the man to put the axe down and used pepper spray to stop him.

The man then pulled a small firebomb out of his backpack and attempted to detonate it, at which point one of the officers shot him in the leg.

He has been transferred to hospital to receive medical treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police shot the man near Hamburg's Reeperbahn, the heavily visited street in the heart of the northern port city's nightlife district. Source: AAP / Bodo Marks/DPA

German police say they believe the incident is unrelated to the football tournament going on in the country.

The key quote: "He put down the pickaxe and then tried to set fire to the Molotov cocktail," a police spokesperson said.

What else to know: The incident comes as German police arrested seven Serbian fans following violent clashes in the city of Gelsenkirchen ahead of their nation's game with England. Footage on social media showed people throwing chairs towards others, causing injury, at a local restaurant.

Meanwhile, UEFA has charged the Albanian Football Federation for the display of a provocative message during their game with Italy, for the use of fireworks, the throwing of objects and for "an invasion of the field of play" by one of their supporters.

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