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    Aberdeen’s Conference League clash SUSPENDED due to heavy snow after fans were told off throwing SNOWBALLS at goalkeeper

    ABERDEEN’S Europa Conference League clash with Finnish side HJK Helsinki was SUSPENDED due to bad weather… after the travelling Scottish fans had been warned for throwing SNOWBALLS at the opposition keeper.The Scottish Premiership side travelled to Finland without a win in five matches in this season’s competition, having already been eliminated in the group stage.
    The match was temporarily halted when Aberdeen fans threw snowballs at the Helsinki keeperCredit: X
    The match was then suspended due to bad weather, before the players came back outCredit: EPA
    A snow plough came on to sort out the icy pitchCredit: EPA
    HJK vs Aberdeen takes an unexpected turn as the referee orders everyone off the pitch so a giant version of Robot Wars On Ice can begin. OH MY GOD THSTS CHAOS 2’S ENTRANCE MUSIC pic.twitter.com/4sYqchsdeD— JJ Bull (@jj_bull) November 30, 2023

    Helsinki were winning 2-1 in the second half when supporters behind the goal began hurling snowballs at Helsinki keeper Niki Maenpaa.
    A message over the tannoy urged them to stop, insisting the match could be abandoned if they continued.
    Aberdeen went on to equalise 11 minutes into the second half.
    But the players were then taken off the pitch due to the extreme weather conditions.
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    Fans inside the stadium were made to wait for around 10 minutes as a snow plough came on to improve the situation on the pitch.
    The players then returned to the field to complete the game as snow continued to fall in the Finnish capital.
    And the conditions remained horrific until the very end as the two teams tried to see through the gusts of snow.
    Helsinki, who had also already been eliminated from the Europa Conference League, took the lead through Boureima Hassane Bande in the 16th minute.
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    And Santeri Hostikka doubled the hosts’ lead shortly after the half hour mark.
    Angus MacDonald pulled one back for Aberdeen four minutes before the break.
    And the Scots’ forward Duk levelled things up in the second period.
    Along with their European exit, Aberdeen are also struggling domestically.
    They sit 10th in the Scottish top flight with just three wins from their opening 12 league games. More

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    European giants CANCEL Goal of the Month competition and sack boss as ruthless fans call it ‘the Chelsea special’

    BASEL have cancelled their Goal of the Month awards as the team has failed to hit the back of the net throughout the entirety of October.The Swiss giants have been enduring a disastrous season that has seen them drop to the bottom of the Swiss Super League table.
    Basel had to cancel their Goal of the Month awards amid a disastrous seasonCredit: 2023 UEFA
    The once Champions League regulars have only won one out of 11 league matches and have lost a staggering eight long the way.
    To make matters worse, the 20-time Swiss champions haven’t scored a single goal this entire month.
    Last season’s Europa Conference League semi-finalists have instead conceded a whopping 10 across their four matches this month.
    Basel tweeted: “No goals in October = No goal of the month.”
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    That tweet sparked some intense reaction from the club’s fans but there were also some rival supporters who found the opportunity to poke some fun.
    In fact, some of them even saw similarities with Chelsea’s turbulent season.
    The Blues are still languishing in 11th place in the Premier League table.
    And the West Londoners almost went the entirety of September without a goal until their 1-0 win over Brighton in the Carabao Cup just four days before October began.
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    One fan tweeted: “The Chelsea special.”
    Another commented: “Sometimes you want to be San Marino.”
    A third posted: “Feels bad.”
    This fan wrote: “Could run Goal of the Month with goals from the youth and women’s teams.”
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    And that one stated: “What a shame. The saddest tweet I have ever seen.”
    Basel are trying to shake things up by hiring their third manager of the season with Fabio Celestini replacing Heiko Vogel.
    Vogel was on his third stint in the dugout after replacing Timo Schultz last month.
    Basel announced: “Due to the worsening sporting crisis in the first team, FC Basel 1893 has decided to part ways with head coach Heiko Vogel.
    “With a contract until the end of the season, Fabio Celestini will take over management of the team immediately. He is assisted by the existing coaching staff.” More

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    AZ Alkmaar 1 Aston Villa 4: Unai Emery’s side run riot in Netherlands as Villans continue impressive start to season

    ASTON VILLA returned to the Netherlands for the first time since their famous European Cup win in Rotterdam in 1982.And they pulled off a performance Peter Withe, Nigel Spink and Co would have been proud of.
    Aston Villa’s goal machine went into overdrive againCredit: EPA
    Leon Bailey started the party against AZ Alkmaar with his low drive on 13 minutesCredit: Getty

    Forty-one years on from their greatest glory night, Unai Emery’s men finally got their act together in Europe this season.
    The Premier League high-flyers produced a display which will have convinced their 950 travelling fans this could be their year again.
    It may be Europe’s third-tier competition, but Villa were a class above the Eredivisie’s second-top team who remain unbeaten domestically.
    They gave Alkmaar a lesson in finishing – scoring four goals from their first five shots at goal.
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    Yet this tie got off to an extraordinary start as Villa goalie Emi Martinez played cat and mouse with Alkmaar’s forwards.
    The Argentine World Cup winner stood defiantly, ball at his feet, yards outside his box, daring dangerman Vangelis Pavlidis, Ibrahim Sadiq and Myron van Brederode to come and get it.
    They refused and the Mexican stand-off continued for fully 90 seconds to the fury of home fans, before Pavlidis eventually crept forward and Martinez easily played around him. 
    That patient approach would have delighted boss Emery who had even more to smile about when Villa seized an early lead after 13 minutes.
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    Leon Bailey initially cursed himself for squandering a good opening after Boubacar Kamara picked him out at the edge of the box.
    On that occasion, a poor first touch allowed Riechedly Bazoer to recover and dispossess him.
    But the Jamaican forward swiftly made amends as he fired Villa in front seconds later.
    Kamara swept the ball forward and despite it bouncing awkwardly, Bailey tamed it and lashed it beyond Mat Ryan from just inside the box.
    It was the forward’s sixth goal of the season, his third in Europe and it gave Villa the confidence to seize this game by the scruff of the neck.
    Alkmaar had pinned their hopes on their Greek international striker Pavlidis who had scored 13 goals in nine games, including a hat-trick at the weekend.
    However, the 24-year-old squandered his first big opening when he beat Lucas Digne and Diego Carlos, only to shoot straight at Martinez.
    Emiliano Martinez teased the home side with his tacticsCredit: Getty
    Youri Tielemans buried his first goal since joining from LeicesterCredit: Getty
    Ollie Watkins could not miss his tap-inCredit: Rex
    Villa kindly showed him how it should be done as they doubled their lead midway through the half.
    Captain John McGinn pounced on a loose pass from Sven Mijnans and delivered a sublime pass to Youri Tielemans.
    The Belgian calmly drilled the ball between Ryan’s legs to celebrate his first goal for Villa since his summer move from Leicester City.
    It was all so easy but Villa briefly decided to live dangerously when Kamara was robbed at the edge of the box but again Pavlidis squandered the chance as he fired over.
    The Greek did have the ball in the net after 32 minutes but he was flagged offside after straying just too far forward to get on the end of Van Brederode’s cross.
    Villa moved through the gears after the break, adding a third when Bailey’s shot was palmed out by Ryan, leaving in-form Ollie Watkins with a simple tap-in for his sixth goal in six games for club and country.
    Then McGinn capped a brilliant performance, bursting into the Alkmaar six-yard box to stab Bailey’s low cross beyond Ryan.
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    That deadly finish clocked up Villa’s 16th goal in five games.
    The only disappointment for perfectionist Emery came when Alkmaar grabbed a consolation goal when Sadiq beat Martinez with a sensational strike from the edge of the box.

    Ollie Watkins took in the adulation of the travelling fansCredit: Getty
    John McGinn got in on the act with No4Credit: Getty
    A hardy 950 fans made the trip to the NetherlandsCredit: Getty More

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    Aston Villa make major kit change for Europa clash due to little-known rule as fans gush ‘can I buy it please?’

    ASTON VILLA fans lauded the sponsor on their kit for tonight’s Europa Conference League clash.Unai Emery’s men take on AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands this evening.
    Aston Villa had their foundation as the sponsor against AZ AlkmaarCredit: Instagram / @avfcofficial
    The Villans travelled to the Netherlands for their Europa Conference League clashCredit: Getty
    And as well as wearing their blue geometric third kit, the Villans went for a change of shirt sponsor for the trip.
    Instead of the usual controversial BK8, the strip was completed with the Aston Villa Foundation logo and its light symbol.
    The foundation, first launched in 1990, became a registered charity in 2013.
    It now employs 80 people to deliver 40 projects and support thousands of people across Birmingham.
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    And the change went down a storm on social media when the club posted a photo from the changing room at the AFAS Stadium.
    Supporters flooded the replies with waves of adoration.
    One said: “Love that.”
    Another wrote: “Please put this on sale.”
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    A third added: “Keep this sponsor for the rest of the season.”
    A fourth typed: “Sell a limited edition batch of these to raise money for the foundation.”
    A fifth commented: “I was all against playing in the third strip, but that sponsor is a fantastic touch.”
    Another asked: “Can I buy it with this sponsor please?!”
    And a final user replied: “That’s the sort of sponsor we should be having on our kit instead of these betting companies that you promote!”
    However, SunSport understands the real reason for the temporary change in shirt sponsorship is due to betting regulations in Europe – and will return to normal for Sunday’s Premier League game with Luton.
    Villa wore their unpopular ‘wet-look’ home kit in their opening Group E match against Legia Warsaw in September with a blank front.
    Villa’s new three-year deal with online casino BK8 was slammed by supporters in the summer.
    Norwich City cancelled a partnership with the Asian betting firm after just three days in 2021 amid complaints of sexualised marketing involving young women.
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    The Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust hit out at the “cynical attempt” of financial gain and accused the club of failing to listen to fans’ concerns.
    Front-of-shirt gambling sponsors will be outlawed by the Premier League at the end of the 2025-26 season.
    The third kit usually has the BK8 sponsorshipCredit: Instagram / @avfcofficial
    Villa went without a sponsor against Legia WarsawCredit: Reuters More

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    Poland PM calls for ‘diplomatic action’ as two Legia Warsaw stars arrested after match with AZ Alkmaar

    TWO Legia Warsaw stars were arrested after their Europa Conference League defeat at AZ Alkmaar.That’s after reportedly breaking a security guard’s elbow in disturbing clashes.
    Legia Warsaw stars Josue and Radovan Pankav were arrested after their defeat to AZ AlkmaarCredit: Twitter
    The pair reportedly injured a security guard in clashes outside the stadiumCredit: Twitter
    Chaotic scenes ensued after the dramatic European match in Holland, which the hosts won 1-0.
    Riot police reportedly refused to let some Legia players and staff return to their team bus following the final whistle, having abruptly closed the stadium to prevent fans from clashing.
    Polish outlet Sport.TV claims president and owner Dariusz Mioduski was struck in the face during a struggle with armoured cops.
    And several members of staff were also said to be hit by batons.
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    Video has now emerged of police storming Legia’s team bus before arresting midfielder Josue and defender Radovan Pankov.
    Dutch outlet De Telegraaf claims the duo “hit” a security guard “against the wall”, breaking his elbow and giving him a concussion.
    They were hauled off the coach by cops before being detained at the local police station.
    A Polish source told Sport.TV: “They [the police] didn’t want to listen or talk. The threat of an attack quickly appeared.”
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    Riot police reportedly hit Legia’s owner and presidentCredit: Twitter
    Players and staff of the Polish team were prevented from leaving the stadium by copsCredit: Twitter
    The alleged incident has caused outrage in Poland.
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki tweeted: “Very disturbing reports coming from Alkmaar.
    “I have recommended that the Polish MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) take urgent diplomatic action with a view to establishing the night’s events.
    “Polish players and fans must be treated in accordance with the law.”
    Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller told radio station RMF: “The prime minister has informed me that he has asked the diplomatic services to clarify the matter urgently.
    “At first glance it arouses serious doubts as to the justifiability of the Dutch authorities’ intervention and the way in which that intervention was conducted.
    “The prime minster has recommended that it be urgently checked.”
    AZ Alkmaar said: “Our response will follow later. We are in contact with the quadrangle (the club, mayor, police and the Public Prosecution Service).
    “Something will definitely come from all of us, but not just one, two, three yet. We want to review the facts first.”
    Dutch police told NL Times they couldn’t comment on the alleged incident with the Legia Warsaw team.
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    But it’s claimed before the match, a riot police officer was left unconscious after being cornered by away fans who stormed Alkmaar’s stadium.
    Batons and pepper spray were apparently stolen from cops, who used tear gas in response. More

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    Aston Villa 1 Zrinjski Mostar 0: McGinn bags dramatic last-minute winner as Villans get first Conference League victory

    SUPER John McGinn rode to the rescue with the dramatic last-gasp winner to hand Unai Emery his 100th victory in European football.Villa fans were resigned to their fate, ready to accept a goalless draw which would have left them bottom of Group E as the seconds ticked down on their chances.
    John McGinn scored a last-gasp winner for Aston VillaCredit: Reuters
    It is McGinn’s second club goal of the seasonCredit: Reuters
    But McGinn had other ideas and Villa’s captain marvel came up with a moment of pure inspiration to finally break the stubborn Bosnians.
    Emery’s men were four minutes into six minutes of stoppage time when Matty Cash broke round the back of the visitors defence and clipped in a cross.
    Although the ball was behind him McGinn twisted his body and managed to get his head to send the ball beyond Marko Maric to send the Holte End wild.
    It was the perfect ending for watching Villa fan Prince William, who celebrated the goal alongside crocked Villa defender Tyrone Mings.
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    Villa’s fans had waited 13 years to see their team in group action in Europe but they must have wondered what the fuss was all about after a totally underwhelming first half.
    Zrinjski were the first Bosnian side to make it to the group stages in Europe.
    Their confidence was high after coming from 3-0 down at half-time to beat AZ Alkmaar 4-3 to top the group after Matchday 1 and they managed to give Villa a couple of early scares.
    Emi Martinez had to produce a full length diving save to prevent Nemanja Bilbija firing Zrinjski in front from 10 yards, after Mario Ticinovic opened up Villa’s defence.
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    Then Ticinovic cut inside Leander Dendoncker to rifle a shot just over.
    Villa’s best chance of a lacklustre first half was a spectacular overhead kick from Nicolo Zaniolo which Marko Maric theatrically punched clear.
    Emery had seen enough and sent on Matty Cash, Douglas Luiz and newly restored England man Ollie Watkins at half-time for Digne, Dendoncker and Duran.
    It produced a flurry of chances as Villa moved through the gears to set up camp around the Bosnians’ box.
    They thought they had finally made a breakthrough when they were awarded a penalty after 54 minutes.
    Zaniolo’s cross was headed goalwards by Watkins and came off Slobodan Jakovljevic’s face then his outstretched hand.
    But Villa’s joy was short-lived as VAR invited Swiss ref Urs Schnyder to take another look.
    And the whistler admitted he had got it wrong after agreeing Jakovljevic had no way of getting his hand out of harm’s way.
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    As the Holte End worked itself into a frenzy, Maric spilled a Diego Carlos header and the Brazilian defender failed to force home the rebound and it looked as if Villa would never find a way through.
    However McGinn had other ideas. More

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    ‘Football fan’, 42, plunges to his death off bridge after Aston Villa v Legia Warsaw match in Europa Conference League

    A MAN has died after the Aston Villa vs Legia Warsaw game last night.Reports say that a 42-year-old fan fell from the Łazienkowski Bridge in Warsaw, while leaving the Pepsi Arena.
    Other fans tried to help the man after his fall in WarsawCredit: Dariusz Borowicz / Agencja Wyborcza.pl
    Lazienkowski Bridge in Warsaw where the tragic incident took placeCredit: Alamy
    The tragic incident took place on Thursday around 9 p.m. after their Europa Conference League match.
    The man was resuscitated before unfortunately dying- the spokesman for the downtown police, inspector. Robert Szumiata said.
    He was walking with a large group of fans, and according to Polish Press Agency reports might have wanted to shorten his way to the stop and went through the barriers before falling.
    According to reports by Gazeta Wyborcza, he tried to jump between the viaduct and the stairs going down.
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    Unfortunately, this didn’t work as he “fell into the gap that separates the two structures and then fell from several meters onto the sidewalk at Wisłostrada.”
    The fan hasn’t been named.
    The tragic incident happened after the first group game in Group E where Legia Warsaw beat Aston Villa 3-2 in a chaotic game in Poland’s capital.
    More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online.Thesun.co.uk is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
    Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.

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    Legia Warsaw 3 Aston Villa 2: Premier League side’s first appearance in Europe for 13 years ends in valiant defeat

    UNAI EMERY failed to clock up his 100th victory in Europe as Villa lost out in a five-goal thriller in Warsaw.Kosta Runjaic had described this as a David and Goliath clash between the Premier League millionaires and his cut-price heroes.
    Legia Warsaw ensured it was a miserable return to Europe for Aston VillaCredit: Reuters
    Lucas Digne thought he had done enough to earn the Villans a drawCredit: PA
    But the Poles deserved their win as Albanian striker Ernest Muci took care of ‘Goliath,’ with two deadly sling-shot finishes to add to Pawel Wszolek’s third minute opener.
    Although Villa fought back to level twice through Jhon Duran and Lucas Digne, they failed to trouble Legia again until three minutes from the end.
    The ball fell perfectly for comeback sub Jacob Ramsey but he failed to hit the target from the edge of the box.
    Moussa Diaby was then denied by Kacper Tobiasz who raced off his line to block him before Douglas Luiz made it a hat-trick of misses as he curled his shot over in stoppage time.
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    Youri Tielemans hit the side net deep in stoppage time but it was too little, way too late for Villa who must now look to get back on the rails when Bosnian outsiders Zrinjski Mostar visit Villa Park in 13 days time.
    Poland’s new national manager Michael Probierz was in the stands, just 24 hours after being appointed to his new role.
    However, if he was here to check on Matty Cash’s form he was out of luck as the 13-times-capped Polish international started on the bench.
    His place was taken by Callum Chambers, one of five changes Emery made from the side which beat Crystal Palace at the weekend.
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    The Spaniard will reflect that was a disastrous error and the former Arsenal centre-back was soon exposed in his right-back role as Legia stormed into the lead within three minutes.
    Chambers gave Patryk Kun too much space and when the left back crossed Pawel Wszolek dashed in front of Lucas Digne to expertly tuck the ball beyond Emi Martinez.
    It was a brilliant start for the Poles and scored by a player who has a history of making life tough for Villa.
    As a Queens Park Rangers player, Wszolek faced them five times, scoring once in a 1-0 win in 2018 and providing two further assists.
    Yet within three minutes Villa stunned the rowdy 30,000 home fans into silence with a speedy equaliser.
    Nicolo Zaniolo spun and turned Radovan Pankov in the middle of the park and burst forward before smashing in a sensational left foot shot from 30 yards.
    Legia keeper Kacper Tobiasz managed to push the ball onto his crossbar but John Duran, like all good strikers, followed in to head the ball high into the empty net.
    It was the 19-year-old Colombian superkid’s fourth goal in six games and it sent the 1700 Villa fans wild in Warsaw.
    But the home side, backed by a passionate full-house, were in the mood and they regained their lead midway through a frantic first half.
    Wszolek was the dangerman again as he turned provider this time forcing his cross through Lucas Digne’s challenge.

    His deflected cross picked out Ernest Muci, who had left Chambers for dead, to give himself all the time and space he needed to beat Martinez with a crisp right foot half-volley.
    It was breathless stuff at times as this pair slogged it out and Martinez did well to deny Marc Gual a third with a super save after 37 minutes.
    It was to prove a crucial stop because two minutes later Villa drew level for the second time on the night.
    John McGinn’s attempted shot deflected off Yuri Ribeiro into the path of Lucas Digne and the Frenchman rifled a shot which flew into the top bin with the help of a deflection off Wszolek.
    Villa ended the half strongly and Tobiasz denied Duran a second as he blocked his close range shot with his legs.
    But Villa fell behind again six minutes after the break when Muci was allowed to run from deep and Konsa and Chambers both stood off him long enough to allow him to rifle a low shot in from the edge of the box.
    Although Martinez got his fingers to it, the ball bounced in off the far post to restore Legia’s lead.
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    Unai Emery had seen enough and made a treble substitution on the hour, sending on big guns Douglas Luiz, Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby for Kamara, Duran and McGinn.
    But it was Legia who were in total control and Martinez had to save them from conceding a fourth when he beat out Bartosz Slisz’s long range attempt before Villa’s late flurry of chances. More