Australian footballer attacked by fans on the pitch during match

Melbourne City beat rivals Melbourne Victory, 1-0, in the 22nd minute of their Australian A-League game when the incident unfolded. Saturday’s match was halted after fans from the Melbourne Victory section of the stadium poured onto the pitch at AAMI Park.

Melbourne City players rushed into the fight to protect Glover after he was hit with the bucket, which contained a white smoky substance. melbourne city said Glover required several stitches to repair a laceration to his face and was taken to a hospital for further evaluation. King, who initially used his body to protect Glover from invaders, appeared to be escorted off the field.

Melbourne Victory said in a declaration that it “unequivocally condemns the actions of the fans” and that the incident will be under police investigation.

“The actions that occurred, which saw spectators enter the field and injure a Melbourne City FC player, an official and a Network Ten cameraman, are not acceptable under any circumstances and have no place in football,” the footballer said. release. “The safety and well-being of everyone involved in a football match is paramount and the Club will not accept this behaviour.”

Saturday’s violence stemmed from frustrations over a recent decision by the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), the governing body for the country’s men’s and women’s soccer leagues, to sell the hosting rights for the men’s and women’s grand finals. The exhibition events, which have traditionally been hosted by the league’s best team, will now take place in the south-east city of Sydney, some 546 miles from Melbourne, for the next three years.

Remy Siemsen, forward for the Australian women’s national team and A-League women’s Sydney FC, it was pronounced against the decision on Monday in a social media post, saying: “Like all the competitors, I’ve been delighted to earn the right to play a grand final at home and I’d love to see him continue to win it.”

Craig Goodwin, the Adelaide United midfielder who scored during Australia’s unlikely race to the knockout phase of the men’s World Cup earlier this month, also tweeted his dissatisfaction with the decision, adding: “The fans are the most valuable thing in football and as we have seen from the whole country’s support for the Socceroos in the World Cup, they are the ones who create the atmosphere and the culture, and That makes the game great.”

APL chief executive Danny Townsend told ABC News Australia the move was aimed at creating a “football fest” around the final, but admitted he did not anticipate the backlash.

That response carried over to this weekend’s A-League games, with fans at Friday’s game between Newcastle Jets and Brisbane Roar. coming out after the 20th minute in protest of the decision. Some left a sign saying “Fans > $$”.

During Saturday’s match in Melbourne, fans of both teams tried to leave the game in protest at the 20-minute mark, according to Associated Press. Fans on both sides reportedly threw flares onto the pitch, with tensions running high after one appeared to hit a TV cameraman. Later, Glover picked up another flare and tossed it into the stands. Some fans then ran onto the field and Glover was hit by the metal bucket.

The A-League, which features teams from Australia and New Zealand, resumed play on December 9, after a brief World Cup hiatus. Saturday’s incident comes two weeks after the men’s national team finished second to France in World Cup Group D, before losing, 2-1, to Argentina in the round of 16.