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23rd May 2024
12:33pm BST
The Czech cup final between Sparta Prague and Viktoria Plzen was marred by fan violence after full time.
Sparta were playing just days after securing the league title and took home a domestic double in a 2-1 win.
Reports in the Czech Republic said that the game had been flagged by the authorities as a "high-risk" encounter meaning that extra security measures were enforced.
But as soon as the full time whistle went trouble began as supporters from both clubs made their way onto the pitch.
Both sets of fans entered the pitch wearing masks and hoods before they began fighting on the pitch. Images from the game showed two Plzen fans beating up a lone Sparta fan on the pitch.
iSport claimed that beer cups were thrown in the air as police in riot gear tried to surround those fans causing the issue.
Policejní těžkooděnci zasahovali na hřišti fotbalového stadionu v Plzni, kde večer skončilo finále fotbalového poháru mezi Plzní a Spartou. Na hřišti se střetli fanoušci obou týmů. Výtržnosti narušily i vysílání České televize, na improvizované studio na ploše dopadlo několik… pic.twitter.com/ujyXV1rEor
— ČT24 (@CT24zive) May 22, 2024
Michael, a Sparta Prague fan who was at the game recalled what he saw at full time: "Before the game, even during the game when we scored, there were messages from the speakers telling us not to go on the pitch as there was trouble when we won the league last week," he told JOE.
"After the match ended you could see the police in the left hand corner watching the fans, who were watching the players, before several hundred Plzen could be seen coming that way.
"When they got close a dozen or so Sparta fans got onto the pitch and then the police started acting.
"The whole thing was started from the Plzen fans."
Michael then admitted that he saw some Sparta fans even ripping up and throwing chairs at the TV studios."
A statement from the Czechia Football Association after the game said they did their best to try and make sure the cup final would run smoothly.
It said: "In recent weeks, representatives of the association have repeatedly met with representatives of the fans, security managers and other officials of both clubs, and together they tried to set such measures that will contribute to the smooth progress of the final and the festive ceremony after the match.
"We wanted to avoid indecent images that we don't want to see in Czech football."
The two sets of fans will meet again this Sunday for the final game of the league season.
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