AUSTRIAN police have completed their investigation into an incident in which fans of Bohemians football club were suspected of seriously injuring an 83-year-old woman and they have not officially cleared supporters of wrongdoing.

While club officials were happy to assist in the investigation, they are angered at media coverage at home and abroad which took their fans' involvement "as fact".

A spokesperson for the Salzburg police said the force would not be expressing any apology to the club for difficulties experienced as a result of their fans being made suspects.

Irish supporters attending the Champions League qualifier against Red Bull Salzburg on 15 July were questioned by police in their hotels and in the local 'Shamrock' Irish pub.

The situation emerged after an incident the previous night in which the woman was knocked down by three men fleeing police after attempting to steal a bicycle. Witnesses said they had been speaking English.

"This case is concluded for us because we didn't find any suspected person," Salzburg police spokesman Hermann Winkler told the Sunday Tribune. "The hotels were checked and all witnesses were asked and the police have done what is possible.

"It's not for sure that the guys are from Ireland who injured this person but the police related [that possibility] because of the fact that these guys spoke English only and at that time there was this football game and so police came to the fact that it could be football fans in Ireland.

"The press, they take the same conclusion because it was in the evening and the next day it was the football game. They were drunk and they spoke English."

A spokesman for Bohemians said that they were now as confident as they could ever be that their travelling fans, numbering about 400, were not involved in the incident.

"By early this week it was apparent that Bohemians supporters were not their [the police's] highest priority and by early this week we were as confident as we could be that it was not Bohemians supporters," he said.

Although no formal investigation was launched at the club, numerous fans were approached by officials in an attempt to rule out any involvement.