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West Ham players dived into the crowd to protect their families after they were ambushed by Dutch hooligans.
As substitute Pablo Fornals’ stoppage time winner booked the Hammers’ place in the Europa Conference League final, dozens of Alkmaar ultras rushed along the ‘dead’ zone at the front of the stand to attack the players’ celebrating contingent.
The shocking scenes, a throwback to the hooligan dark ages, took the gloss off West Ham’s first passage to a major final since 2006 and a first in Europe for 47 years.
More than 100 Hammers fans – mostly players’ families and friends sat in the front 10 rows behind the away dugout – were subjected to unacceptable violence and Alkmaar are sure to face disciplinary sanctions from UEFA.
Former Hammers star Joe Cole told BT Sport: “AZ Alkmaar fans attacked West Ham fans where the families, friends and colleagues were sitting. AZ fans turned up with balaclavas throwing punches.”
He added: “We had the same incidents at Frankfurt last year, and it only gets a slap on the wrist. The men that do this type of thing are pathetic.”
The ordeal served to mar a historic moment for West Ham, who booked a place in a European final for the first time in 1976.
David Moyes’ side booked their place with a narrow and nervy 1-0 win over AZ, with Pablo Fornals scoring the only goal of the game in added-on time. What I don’t want to do in any way is blight our night, it wasn’t West Ham supporters looking for trouble. I was on the pitch at the end and security wanted to take me inside but I wanted to make sure the players didn’t get too involved.
“We’ll need to wait for the dust to settle but a lot of the players were getting angry because they couldn’t see if their families were OK. We will have to wait and ask the officials what really happened.”
AZ Alkmaar boss Pascal Jensen strongly condemned his own fans and said he was ashamed of the minority that attempted to ruin the occasion. These are the same fans – in black balaclavas – that were outside the players’ hotel letting off fireworks last night…what are they doing?”
Robin van Persie was also on punditry duty and was asked whether he understood why West Ham players intervened: “Of course I do. From the point of view of the West Ham fans, they are allowed to be happy and celebrate.
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