In a dramatic turn of events, the Europa Conference League semi-final between West Ham and AZ Alkmaar was marred by a disturbing incident.
After Pablo Fornals secured a last-minute victory for West Ham, a group of black-shirted, hooded AZ ultras attempted to breach the area designated for friends and family behind the dugout.
In a display of bravery and concern for their loved ones, players including Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma, Aaron Cresswell, and Flynn Downes quickly scaled the advertising hoardings to intervene and quell the brewing trouble.
David Moyes, the West Ham manager, expressed his deep concern for his family members who were present at the match. Speaking about the incident, Moyes mentioned that the players’ immediate reaction stemmed from the fact that it was the section where their families and friends were situated.
He expressed his worry, given that his own family and friends were also present in that area. Despite the unsettling turn of events, Moyes emphasized that it was important not to let this incident overshadow the night, as the West Ham supporters were not seeking trouble and hoped that the authorities would thoroughly investigate the matter.
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Moyes, whose 87-year-old father David Snr was at the match, said: “I can’t explain what happened and why it happened.
“I can only say the players were involved because it was the family section and most of their family and friends were in there. That was probably the reason for the reaction.
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“Was I worried? Yeah, my family were there and I had friends in that section. You’re hoping they would try and get themselves away from it.
“I didn’t recognise it because I’d gone onto the pitch. Security wanted to take me inside, but I had to make sure my players weren’t involved.
“What we don’t want to do is in any way blight the night because it certainly wasn’t West Ham supporters looking for trouble. Hopefully, they’ll look into it.”
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola also shared his thoughts on the incident, stating that such occurrences were unfortunate and not something anyone would want their families or friends to witness. Areola emphasized the desire to ensure that everyone could enjoy the event without any disturbances or concerns.
“When families or friends are coming to the stadium we don’t want to see things like that. They want to enjoy the event and we want to enjoy it with them as well. We were worried about them.”
This incident came after a confrontation between members of AZ players’ families and West Ham fans during the first leg at the London Stadium. AZ manager Pascal Jansen expressed his regret over the incident, stating that he felt ashamed it happened in their own stadium and emphasizing the importance of controlling emotions.
He said, “What happened last week was very unfortunate, and then you get the same feeling as what happened tonight. I feel a little bit ashamed it happened in our stadium but you have to control your emotions.”
Despite the unfortunate incident, West Ham managed to secure their place in the final, marking their first European final in 47 years and bringing them one step closer to their first trophy since the FA Cup in 1980.