On Thursday, Aston Villa emerged victorious with a 2-1 win against Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League. Moreover, fights between supporters of the Polish team and the police occurred before the game, resulting in injuries. Four officers sustained injuries. Additionally, Legia fans were unable to enter Villa Park before kickoff, as they followed the advice of West Midlands Police.
On Thursday, police arrested 39 individuals and reported that Legia Warsaw fans, described as “disgusting,” caused injuries to four officers during clashes. Furthermore, the incidents unfolded amidst heightened tensions.
Before the match started, Legia supporters and the police simultaneously got into a brawl. This led to at least three cops getting hurt by thrown objects. As a consequence, Villa Park did not allow any away supporters to watch Aston Villa beat the Polish team with goals from Alex Moreno and Moussa Diaby.
Moreover, the match kicked off as planned. However, the stadium authorities did not permit any Legia supporters to enter before the start. Additionally, Legia accused Villa of violating their agreement on away ticket distribution. Furthermore, Villa responded, attributing the decision to safety concerns.
Aston Villa Clash: 4 Officers Hurt in Legia Warsaw Fan Incident at Villa Park
Legia fans found themselves confined to a coach park near Villa Park before suffering a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa. Moreover, during this time, they threw missiles at Police.
After the match, West Midlands Police announced making over thirty arrests and reported injuries to four officers.
Moreover, the press release stated that police faced disgusting and highly dangerous scenes. This happened as trouble flared ahead of the fixture between Aston Villa and Legia Warsaw.
Additionally, police implemented a substantial law enforcement presence due to safety concerns. This resulted from visiting fans participating in matchday chaos in the past.
Furthermore, it is believed that the disorder sparked. The away club didn’t distribute tickets to supporters outside the ground, as anticipated.
Simultaneously, individuals during the disturbance threw missiles, including flares, at four policemen, two police horses, and two police dogs. Additionally, emergency services transported one injured officer to the hospital. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like they have any significant injuries.
Chief Inspector Tim Robinson’s Thoughts on the Aston Villa Football Match
Match commander Chief Inspector Tim Robinson aimed to create an enjoyable football evening for fans from both clubs. He wanted everyone to have a good time. Unfortunately, things took a terrible turn.
Fans simultaneously threw flares and other objects at our officers without hesitation. Moreover, the hateful actions of some put officers’ safety at risk, despite their presence to protect the public.
However, they had to limit the number of away fans entering the stadium due to the severe violence. Furthermore, prioritizing everyone’s safety left us with no alternative.
Such shameful behavior should never find room. It’s an experience neither we nor the broader community should have to endure.
Aston Villa Tops Legia Warsaw (2-1): Win Despite Pre-match Violence
Aston Villa defeated Legia Warsaw 2-1. Villa taking the lead in Europa Conference League Group E with goals from Alex Moreno and Moussa Diaby. However, due to their history of violent encounters with the authorities, Polish supporters were not allowed into the stadium.
Authorities implemented this measure to ensure safety.
Moreover, this win maintained Villa’s perfect record in all their home games in the Premier League and Europe this season.
In his first game back from injury this season, Moreno sealed the three points with a second-half volley. However, Ernest Muci’s superb shot had equalized Diaby’s early goal. Consequently, this ensures Villa at least go to the play-off round.
Unai Emery’s team could have gone straight to the round of 16 with a two-goal victory over Legia. However, with their superior head-to-head record, Leon Bailey tried to put the ball over the goalkeeper. Unfortunately, it bounced off the bar. Additionally, they still need to secure a win away against Bosnia’s Zrinjski Mostar for assurance.
Unai Emery’s side could have secured a direct route to the round of 16 with a two-goal win over Legia. This is because they had a better head-to-head record. Moreover, they came close when Leon Bailey lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper, but it came back off the bar. However, they still need a point away to Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar to be sure.
Aston Villa’s Official Message
During the match, Villa issued a statement. They disclosed unanswered pleas to the Polish club for assistance in preventing ticketless fans from traveling before the match.
Moreover, Villa stated, “The UK safety authorities, UEFA, and Aston Villa communicated on November 2. They decided to reduce the ticket allocation for away fans to 1,002 for this fixture. This decision followed safety authorities’ advice. Last month, disorder caused by Legia fans at AZ Alkmaar led to a decision. During that incident, Dutch police officers got injured. Consequently, UEFA banned Legia supporters from traveling to Mostar for their game against HSK Zrinjski.
Despite numerous requests for cooperation from Legia Warsaw, especially in the last two days, the visiting club did not assist. This was on the serious safety matter of away fans attending Villa Park.
Additionally, the club repeatedly raised concerns, including [Thursday] morning, in conjunction with UEFA and all relevant authorities to Legia. They reported that ticketless away supporters were attempting to attend Villa Park.
Furthermore, Villa stated that Legia fans engaged in planned and systematic violent acts. This occurred against West Midlands Police officers about an hour before kick-off.
The club strongly condemns the behavior of those visiting supporters. It also expresses gratitude to West Midlands Police for their professionalism in very difficult circumstances.
