There is no need to throw flares at the public. Let’s set an example, damn it!” This is how Iñaki Williams addressed the Athletic radicals in the company of De Marcos at the end of the match against Roma. The reaction of the red and white players was just one more, since both the club chaired by Jon Uriarte and the coach Ernesto Valverde himself also publicly expressed their displeasure over this ‘stain’. The Italian public present in the stands of the Olympic Stadium applauded the behavior of the lions.
It all arose from the tying goal scored by Aitor Paredes in the 85th minute. While the lions went to the area of the stadium where their fans were, some radicals began to throw flares. One of them was directed towards another sector of that same stand where the Roma fans were located. The face and gestures of disapproval of Valverde himself when he realized this fact live and directly were certainly significant.
Now, as journalist Ramón Fuentes explained yesterday on the MD website, all that remains is to know the disciplinary consequences of this and other shots that occurred at different times during the match. The matter remains in the hands of the UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Commission. What is taken for granted is that Athletic will be harshly punished financially with a fine by the tournament organizing entity.
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This behavior can have more consequences. On the one hand, it limits the sale of tickets by Athletic to fans for the following matches away from San Mamés in the Europa League. In the first, against the Bulgarian team Ludogorets, or even in the next against the Turkish Fenerbahce. And on the other hand, the possibility even of the partial closure of San Mamés also in the following European meetings.
These last two decisions can be applied immediately, but UEFA could also leave it under test for the next two years. To this we must also add the possible damage that may have been caused to the Roman stadium. In this case, Athletic will have 30 days to contact Roma to pay it.
Chain reactions
The vast majority of the fans of the Bilbao team present at the Roma stadium shouted “out, out” against the authors of these flares. The Athletic professionals were not shy when it came to expressing their position on what they experienced.
Valverde, for example, indicated that “we understand football as a party for everyone. We don’t like it to happen in the opposite direction and we don’t like it to happen on our side either. “It has been a stain.”
Ander Herrera also spoke about it: “First I told Willi (Iñaki Williams) to go talk to them, that there are children and families. And he tells me ‘no, we don’t have to give them the ball’. We didn’t know what to do. We formed a huddle and talked to the two who had to go, who were the captains. In situations like this you don’t know how to get it right or do it.”
Paredes, scorer of the tying goal, indicated that “it is a little unpleasant that these things happen to some fans of our club, a club that has to set an example everywhere.” Galarreta, for his part, made it clear that “many of us are sorry that a couple of people had to experience a situation like this. Put flares on a football field and throw them at rivals…! Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again.”
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