In the wake of Legia Warsaw’s 1-0 loss, the atmosphere tensed into violence, eventually culminating in the arrest of two Legia players.
The spokesperson for the North Holland police, Derk Burger, reported, "We have arrested two people for assault. This concerns a 28-year-old man from Serbia and a 33-year-old man from Portugal." It is alleged that the individuals in question are players Radovan Pankov and Josue, whose whereabouts were conspicuously absent from the team's return to Poland.
According to Dutch authorities, an agreement designed to regulate the attendance and behavior of Legia fans—brokered between the Dutch and Polish police, and the Warsaw club—was allegedly breached by Legia.
Initial disturbances before the game involved Legia Warsaw fans breaching stadium entry points and confrontations with security and police, the Dutch authorities reported.
Further complexities emerged as local police and security services, in an effort to stave off violence with departing Legia fans, locked down the stadium, prompting heightened tensions, verbal skirmishes, and physical altercations as Legia representatives and players navigated to their transport. As a result of the riot, one police officer lost consciousness and reportedly suffered a broken arm.
In response to the events, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has directed the Foreign Ministry to promptly engage in diplomatic actions to authenticate and respond to the events in Alkmaar. He emphasized: "Polish players and fans must be treated in accordance with the law. There is no agreement to break it," Morawiecki wrote on the X portal.
(jh)
Source: PAP