West Ham United players to face UEFA charges after responding to fan attack in Alkmaar
West Ham United players appear set to face UEFA charges for protecting their families in Alkmaar on Thursday night, as reported by the Telegraph.
Several players ran to the defence of their loved ones who were in the premium seating area in the main stand at the AFAS Stadium as a number of AZ fans broke down a fence to be able to attack the Hammers contingent, who were celebrating.
The ugly incident happened just moments after the final whistle, as the Hammers secured a 1-0 win over the Dutch side to confirm their spot in the Europa Conference League final.
In videos that have emerged since Thursday, it is clear to see the players who got caught up in the incident, as featured in the report, as well as the Hammers fans who took a defensive position, trading blows with the masked AZ fans.
“The West Ham United players who jumped into the stands on Thursday night to protect their families from AZ Alkmaar thugs look likely to face a UEFA charge, with the governing body now under pressure over timing,” it said.
“The silence from Uefa over the issue on Friday suggests that officials may allow the process to run past the date of the Europa Conference League final on June 7, when West Ham play Fiorentina at the Fortuna Arena in Prague.
“Declan Rice, Said Benrahma, Flynn Downes and Michail Antonio could all face bans from UEFA competition unless they could persuade a commission these were exceptional circumstances.
“It is highly unlikely that Uefa would want the players to be banned for the final, but officials will also feel that they have to follow the process. AZ Alkmaar will be charged for the behaviour of their supporters.”
What a mess
The ugly altercation spoiled the immediate moment at the final whistle, just after Pablo Fornals made sure of the outcome, for the Irons,
However, in no way does it take away the achievement or the joy for the club’s supporters in reaching a European final.
With the club now on the verge of its first major silverware since 1980, the fans are overjoyed about the prospects ahead in Prague and if anything, the players’ involvement in the controversial incident will have increased the bond that they share with the fans.
As usual, UEFA is out of touch with reality if they really bring charges against the West Ham players whose only thought was to protect their families so there has to be a common-sense outcome of exceptional circumstances to acknowledge what happened in the Netherlands.
Anything else would be a disgrace and a disservice to West Ham, the team, and the supporters who did nothing wrong.