The Czech Football League Association on Sunday launched proceedings against Slavia Prague after the club’s derby with Sparta was abandoned a day earlier in the closing minutes when home fans stormed the pitch and attacked opposing players.
The soccer association released a statement following an extraordinary meeting, saying it would also open proceedings against Sparta after their fans used pyrotechnics and damaged the stadium.
It plans to issue a decision on penalties today before the next round of competition.
Photo: CTK via AP
“The committee also clearly declares that it will pay maximum attention to events of this nature and will deal with them with an emphasis appropriate to their nature,” disciplinary committee chairman Jiri Matzner said in a statement.
Slavia chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik also announced the club would shutter the North Stand from where supporters invaded the pitch until those who attacked Sparta players were identified and hit with a lifetime ban.
He also said the club had suspended striker Tomas Chory and midfielder David Doudera for the remainder of the season for their actions during the match in which both received red cards, adding that neither would play for the Czech champions again.
“Both players received approval to transfer in the summer. Neither will play for Slavia again,” Tvrdik told the podcast of the Slavia Friends’ Association.
The derby was abandoned on Saturday after hundreds of home fans stormed the pitch in the closing minutes, when Slavia were leading 3-2 at home and seconds away from clinching the Czech First League title.
Slavia supporters breached security barriers during stoppage time and flooded the field, with some carrying lit flares and running toward the visiting section. Pyrotechnics were thrown into the stands as players from both teams attempted to leave the pitch.
Czech police intervened to restore order and said they have launched criminal proceedings on suspicion of rioting.
Authorities confirmed that Sparta goalkeeper Jakub Surovcik was among those targeted by home fans and was struck by a flare.
Sparta vice chairman Frantisek Cupr accepted the apology from Slavia’s Tvrdik, but said the rival club also had to accept a share of the blame for the action of its supporters.
“Football suffered a terrible disgrace yesterday, from which we will have to recover for a while,” Cupr said in a statement to iSport. “It doesn’t really matter what the disciplinary committee says, including the result of the match, yesterday we shot ourselves in the foot.”
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