The confrontation between West Ham and AZ Alkmaar, from the Netherlands, for the semifinal of the Conference League was marked by a mess in the stands after the end of the match, in which even Lucas Paquetá was involved. The fight started after fans of the Dutch club invaded the space intended for the family of the English team.
Some AZ ultras broke down a barrier that separated them from the area where they were familiar with the West Ham players. Upon realizing the confusion, several athletes from the English team, who were on the field celebrating the classification, left the lawn and started to fight. In addition to Lucas Paquetá, five other players got involved trying to protect their family members.
When jumping over the advertising signs, heading towards the focus of the fight, Paquetá found a security guard who tried to contain him. The player of Brazilian Team, however, ignored him and left for the center of the confusion. Shortly after, police and security managed to end the confrontation.
None of the teams officially commented on what happened. The coaches of both teams, on the other hand, regretted the scenes of aggression.
“The players were involved because it was the family section. That was probably what the backlash was about. I don’t want this to spoil the night because the West Ham fans weren’t looking for trouble. I hope they look into that. My family was there and I had friends in that section,” commented West Ham coach David Moyes.
On the field, West Ham secured their place in the Conference League decision with a 1-0 victory, which was added to the 2-1 triumph in the first leg, played in England. This will be the club’s first European final in 47 years.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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