Violence erupts after West Ham beat Alkmaar 1-0

2023-05-19 11:29

Violence erupts after West Ham beat Alkmaar 1-0 Violence erupted after West Ham beat Alkmaar 1-0 to advance to the UEFA Europa League final . West Ham United players had to defend their friends and family from angry Alkmaar fans.


Pablo Fornals scored in stoppage time to give West Ham a 1-0 win over Alkmaar for a 3-1 aggregate win as they reached their first European final in 47 years, But the festivities were quickly suspended due to rioting in the stands.


Supporters of Alkmaar broke through the fence and attacked the West Ham party sitting in the reserved area of the AZ stadium. A scuffle ensued, with West Ham players attempting to intervene. Police and security then arrived at the scene to prevent further confrontation and calm was restored 10 minutes later.


West Ham manager David Moyes said after the game: "We need to wait for the dust to settle to see what happened, but the biggest problem is that this is the area where the players' families and friends are. There was a problem, and a lot of players were angry because they couldn't confirm that their families were safe. But, I don't know. We'll have to wait and find out what's really going on with the officials."


Goal scorer Pablo Knuth said in an interview that he did not see much violence as he tried to keep his teammates away from the unrest, but he was concerned for the safety of their friends and relatives.


"Because no one was here watching me on Thursday, I didn't see much of the situation. I didn't have anyone watching the game in that area, and when the referee's whistle blew to end the game, I fell to the ground like a Cried like a child.


"Afterwards, I went in and tried to keep everyone inside because as players we don't need that kind of thing. I really care for the families of my teammates, hope everyone is okay and the police can do their job and find out who it is Fuck it. I don't think anyone wants to see their family members hurt. It's not good when you're in that wonderful moment and people who aren't in the same moment try to use violence against you. All we can do is help There is nothing the police can do to find out who did it, but pray for the safety of my teammate's family."


UEFA will await reports from match officials and representatives before deciding on its next steps.