Author: Soorya G
A group of thugs attacked family members of West Ham’s visiting contingent.
Dutch team AZ Alkmaar have apologized for the violence that took place in their stadium after the UEFA Conference League semi-final against Premier League side West Ham United.
Spanish midfielder Pablo Fornals’ goal in injury time, which confirmed West Ham’s place in the final of the tournament
seems to have provoked some of the Alkmaar fans, who managed to enter the playing area and ambush the visiting team, trying to commit violence. Security officials were unable to control the thugs, dressed in black hoodies, and some West Ham players, including Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma, Aaron Cresswell and Flynn Downes, intervened in an attempt to defuse the situation.
The club issued a statement sincerely apologizing for the incident and promised to launch its own investigation, as well as cooperating with UEFA’s investigation into the matter. Alkmaar refused to refer to the attackers as “fans” and called the incident shameful. The club also hoped for forgiveness from all the away fans, as well as the thousands of AZ Alkmaar supporters who were present.
“While everyone was looking forward to a historic European match, it turned into a pitch-black night due to the events that took place at the referee’s final whistle. It became a night to reflect on with shame. Not because of the soccer match played, but because of the behavior of some of the participants. Unfortunately, we can’t use the word “fans” for these people. What happened is beyond belief. Once again, the club sincerely apologizes to West Ham and the thousands of AZ fans who were also inconvenienced by the misconduct.”
West Ham manager David Moyes relived his traumatic experience, saying that he feared for his family, especially his 85-year-old father, who was in the stands. He also made it clear that the entire West Ham squad felt terribly unsafe in the hostile environment, especially given the fact that their families and those close to them were being targeted by the culprits. UEFA has not yet issued an official statement on the matter, but it is expected to launch a formal investigation as soon as possible.