POLICE chiefs in Amsterdam have vowed to crack down on violent football fans ahead of the Celtic clash.

Officers want to avoid a repeat of the trouble that marred Celtic's visit to the city in 2013.

Police say special legislation means they can arrest known Ajax thugs on sight if they are spotted before Thursday's Europa League clash between the Dutch side and Celtic.

Police chief Olivier Dutilh reportedly said: “We are targeting the Ajax hooligans and they know that as soon as they come into town, we will arrest them.

“We know who these people are. We have a specially trained unit who know them by their names and know them by sight.

“Our mayor has implemented some specific legislation which allows us to arrest them.

“Even when they haven’t done anything but are just present and gathering together, we can arrest them. We have that in our law and can use it for specific events so the mayor has agreed that this match is one of them."

Mr Dutilh reassured Celtic fans that they were safe.

He added: “I can assure the Celtic fans that the day before the match and matchday, it’s completely not possible for the Ajax hooligans to come close to them. We want the Scots fans to be together. They will be safe, they will have fun and can enjoy everything Amsterdam has.

“The main problem two years ago was that the Ajax hooligans were constantly looking for fights – and they sometimes did.

“We had up to 8000 Celtic fans in Dam Square and that was more than had tickets. The problem was the Ajax hooligans mixed with a lot of Scottish fans who had a lot to drink."

Trouble erupted when the Parkhead side last travelled to Amsterdam two years ago.

Extra security measures will be in place to avoid a situation like this.

Around 100 more officers will be on duty than in 2013, while a special fanzone is also being created for travelling supporters.