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They are Wild West scenes that take place on Thursday evening in the Dutch city of Alkmaar. West Ham United have qualified for the Conference League final with a 1-0 away win. The party to enter the final is in full swing when the sporting aspect is suddenly pushed into the background.
Players come face to face with the hooligans
Several dozen masked Alkmaar chaos break through security bars and leave their block to the sector where many visiting fans, as well as friends and family of the West Ham players reside. The mob goes after the England supporters and physically assaults them. There are vicious fights and punches, objects flying through the air.
When the West Ham United players became aware of the scene, the next level of escalation ensued. The professionals step in and defend their loved ones. World stars from the Premier League suddenly come face to face with Dutch hooligans. Security forces and officials are trying to separate the two camps and calm the situation.
For goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, safety is the most important thing in the stadiums. “We had family in this block and were very worried about them,” he told the press after the game. Coach David Moyes is at his wit’s end: “I can’t explain what happened and why it happened. All I can say is that our players were involved, because it was a family block and most of their family and friends were there .” The coach hopes that the escalation of violence will have consequences: “I don’t want it to spoil the evening, because our fans were not looking for trouble. Hopefully UEFA will investigate the matter.”
Does the Netherlands have a ventilator problem?
The disgrace of Alkmaar is the latest chapter in fan violence in the Netherlands. Lately incidents have been happening again and again. For example, chaotic Groningen residents ensured that the match was stopped after just nine minutes last weekend and Ajax star Davy Klaasen suffered a head injury in April after an attack by a fan in the match against Feyenoord Rotterdam. The country is increasingly facing a fan problem.
It remains to be seen what punishments will be for the Alkmaar riots. UEFA investigations are already underway. (byl)
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
