WEST HAM’S players have been cleared by Uefa after clashing with AZ Alkmaar thugs in the Europa Conference League semi-final.
A string of the London club’s stars rushed to defend their friends and families as the Dutch hooligans attempted to storm an area where the travelling contingent had been sat.
Yet while West Ham have avoided punishment, Alkmaar have been handed a suspended one-game stadium ban along with nearly £69,000 in fines.
The stadium ban will be activated if there is any more trouble at their ground in the next two years while they were fined £43,000 for the attack on the West Ham section.
Alkmaar have also been fined £12,900 for the lighting of fireworks, £6,900 for supporters blocking public passageways and £6,000 for the throwing of objects, .
The trouble erupted after David Moyes’ team won 1-0 on the night to knock out Alkmaar 3-1 on aggregate.
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While stewards and security were on the scene, Hammers players including Lucas Paqueta, Said Benrahma, Declan Rice, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell, Jarrod Bowen and Flynn Downes were all involved in the chaos.
West Ham won the competition by beating Fiorentina 2-1 in the final in Prague.
Bowen’s 90th-minute winner saw the London club bring home their first piece major silverware since 1980.
There were fines handed out to West Ham fans from that game after missiles were thrown onto the pitch which left Cristiano Biraghi with a bleeding head.
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Uefa also slapped West Ham fans with a ban going into next season’s opening Europa League away fixture.
However, the Hammers faithful were left unhappy at the level of punishment dished out by Uefa to Alkmaar.
One fan wrote: “Considering our bans, embarrassing punishment.”
A second said: “I’m sorry how have they literally attacked the families of the players and have got away with a minimal fine?”
Another remarked: “That’s not even a slap on the wrist.”
A fourth declared: “If an English team did that we’d be banned for multiple years. The double standard is crazy.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
