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      West Ham fans left ‘blind for 20 mins’ after being pepper-sprayed by Belgian police at Anderlecht in Conference League

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      WEST HAM fans were pepper-sprayed by Belgian police after the Hammers’ Europa Conference League win at Anderlecht on Thursday.Around 50 supporters, including elderly fans, were affected – with some blinded for up to 20 minutes.
      West Ham fans were pepper-sprayed by Belgian police after their team’s 1-0 Europa Conference League win at Anderlecht on ThursdayCredit: Focus Images
      Earlier in the day this bleeding Hammers fan was helped by local copsCredit: PA
      The incident occurred as around 1,000 away supporters were being escorted from the stadium back into Brussels city centre.
      Brussels police said a number of fans near the front of the group “became aggressive” towards cops who deployed the vicious spray to “push them back”.
      Irons supporter Adam Brown, 28, said: “It was horrible, my eyes were burning like there was no tomorrow.
      “We were half-way back in the crowd, miles from any trouble if there was any. Innocent people were affected. It’s not on at all.”
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      No West Ham fans were arrested in Belgium and were said to be otherwise impeccably behaved.
      Met Police sent four officers to the Belgian capital in a strictly liaison capacity.
      SunSport has been told Met reps “shrugged it off” and adopted a “not our problem” attitude when fans complained about use of pepper-spray.
      A Met statement said: “As people were leaving the stadium following the match, our officers were alerted by fans there had been disorder.
      Gianluca Scamacca fired the Hammers’ 79th minute winner to move them five points clear of their hosts at the top of Group BCredit: Getty
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      “Met officers spoke with their counterparts in the Belgian Police to establish what had happened and relayed the information back to fans.”
      Gianluca Scamacca gave the Hammers a 1-0 win to extend their Group B lead over their hosts to five points.
      Second-placed Anderlecht visit London Stadium for group match four of six on Thursday.
      Earlier this year, Paris police apologised for using tear gas on Liverpool supporters during disturbing chaos ahead of the Champions League final.
      Full Belgian police statement
      In the course of Thursday night, our police forces had to intervene on three occasions in incidents where pepper-spray had to be used to ensure safety.
      A first time involved a number of Anderlecht supporters who sought a confrontation with some passing West Ham fans before the start of the match.
      In order to protect the West Ham supporters, pepper-spray was deployed against the Anderlecht fans.
      A second incident occurred at the end of the match, when Anderlecht supporters tried in various ways to get close to VIPs.
      Again, pepper-spray was used to ensure the stewards’ safety, among others.
      Finally, there was a third incident during the escort of West Ham supporters after the match.
      During this police escort, in which 1,000 fans were escorted to the centre of Brussels, certain supporters walking at the beginning of the escort became aggressive, and continued to put pressure on police forces.
      A pushback of this group of supporters then occurred in which pepper-spray had to be used. More

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      Fiorentina slammed for leaving Hearts away dressing room a mess as rarely seen footage emerges

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      HEARTS groundstaff got a shock last night as Fiorentina’s Serie A superstars left the away dressing room at Tynecastle in a state. A video clip widely shared on social media showed towels, tape, empty water bottles and debris scattered across the changing room after their 3-0 win.
      Hearts staff found the dressing room in a state
      Jambos fans weren’t happy
      Jambos fans felt it lacked class with one sharing the video on Twitter.
      The two sides are set to meet up again in Italy next week.
      He wrote: “This was the state of the away dressing room after the game last night … stay classy Fiorentina.”
      While the ethics of such matters are unclear, in rugby the New Zealand All Blacks always make it a ritual to ‘sweep the sheds’ after a game.
      Former fly-half Andrew Mehrtens said: “It’s an example of personal discipline, it’s not expecting somebody else to do your job for you.
      “It teaches you not to expect things to be handed to you.
      “If you have personal discipline in your life, then you are going to be more disciplined on the field.”
      Fiorentina put the Jambos to the sword with a 3-0 win at Tynecastle.
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      On the field, Hearts boss Robbie Neilson admitted Fiorentina taught Hearts a lesson as schoolboy errors cost them at Tynecastle.
      Viola star Rolando Mandragora fired the Italians ahead after just four minutes – and the Jambos never recovered.
      Christian Koaume and Luka Jovic were also on target as they won 3-0, while Lewis Neilson was sent off for the Jambos.
      And while Neilson agreed the Serie A side were good he felt the goals his side lost were all avoidable.
      He said: “I’m disappointed with the result. I think this is a huge learning curve, playing against a very good Fiorentina team.
      “The disappointing thing for me was the goals we conceded, for all the possession they had in good areas, the goals were poor.
      “When you play against a level of opposition like Fiorentina, that was the first time a few of the players have played at that level.
      “I thought there were areas of the park where we did well and contained them. But if you stop and if you switch off for even half a second you lose goals.
      “I felt we were reactive as opposed to be proactive. We need to be proactive and believe what is going to happen rather than wait for it.”
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      Uefa’s wacky new Champions League schedule with group stage games proposed until end of JANUARY

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      JURGEN KLOPP look away now, because Uefa’s proposed new Champions League schedule includes group stage games until the end of JANUARY.Europe’s governing body want to expand the Champions League and Europa League in 2024, but keep the Europa Conference League the same.
      The Champions League and Europa League are set to be revampedCredit: Getty
      Jurgen Klopp has already hit out at the crowded scheduleCredit: AP
      Fuming Liverpool boss Klopp said last month that the action-packed schedule was “not right”.
      And if things weren’t already hectic enough, Uefa’s wacky new plans would see Champions League and Europa League teams play an extra two games, according to ESPN.
      The two competitions are also set to expand from 32 teams to 36.
      So instead of European football entering its knockout phase after Christmas, two more rounds of Champions League and Europa League games will be played right up until the very end of January.
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      But eight rounds of games spread out over 10 weeks are set to cause chaos to the domestic schedule.
      The first round of proposed Europa League games clash with the third round of the Carabao Cup.
      Further European matchdays in December and January then clash with the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.
      It gets worse, as the final round of European games are proposed for the same time as a full Premier League midweek schedule at the end of January 2025.
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      Uefa’s proposed new European schedule
      The fixture congestion could reportedly see FA Cup replays from the third round onwards scrapped in order to move the Carabao Cup and Prem games.
      The Prem is the only one out of Europe’s big five leagues with a secondary cup competition.
      Or, like Liverpool did in 2019 when their Carabao Cup match against Aston Villa clashed with a Club World Cup game, Prem teams could choose to field academy sides.
      A worst case scenario, claimed to be seen as the very last resort, is cutting the Prem from 20 teams to 18. More

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      Uefa ‘to invite top MLS team to join Champions League, Europa League & Conference League winners in revamped Super Cup’

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      MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER clubs could face the winners of the Champions League in a revamped Super Cup reportedly being considered by Uefa.It has been alleged that talks are already underway for a “four-team season-opening event” which would replace the current Super Cup.
      New York City FC celebrate winning last season’s MLSCredit: Getty
      And it would continue to feature the winners of both the Champions League and Europa League as well as the new Europa Conference League.
      America is believed to be the main destination to host it, with one option said to include the host nation’s champions also – which would be the MLS in this case – as a fourth team.
      The idea to replace the Super Cup from 2024 is said to be “gaining traction” and will have an emphasis on trying to attract more female fans and families.
      The Press Association claims that sources have informed them that could mean “placing the matches within a weekend festival” or “having pop acts perform” prior to games or at half-time.
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      They have been encouraged by other sports moving matches and events into new markets, such as the NFL’s success in staging regular-season games in London.
      The European Club Association’s General Assembly in Istanbul is currently taking place and more discussions on the above are due to take place.

      Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali was invited to explain how F1 is trying to attract new fans and widen interest.
      And ECA chairman Nasser Al Khelaifi is due to discuss dangerous debt levels of clubs around the continent.
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      New York City FC lifted the MLS Cup last season Stateside.
      Real Madrid, who beat Europa League holders Eintracht Frankfurt in the Uefa Super Cup in August, won the Champions League last term.
      And it was Jose Mourinho’s Roma that were crowned the inaugural winners of the Europa Conference League. More

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      Watch ex-Spurs keeper Pierluigi Gollini commit horror blunder for Fiorentina after trying to do kick-ups on edge of box

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      THIS is the comical moment former Tottenham star Pierluigi Gollini committed a horror blunder in the Europa Conference League.That’s by doing KICK-UPS on the edge of his box before losing the ball and conceding a goal.
      Pierluigi Gollini’s horror blunder saw Fiorentina lose 3-0 at Istanbul BasaksehirCredit: Getty

      Gollini, 27, spent last season on loan at Spurs from Atalanta.
      He made 10 appearances in Europe and the cups, but failed to play once in the Premier League and left in the summer.
      Gollini, who has also played for Aston Villa, was then immediately loaned from Atalanta to Italian rivals Fiorentina.
      But the 6ft 4in stopper did little to convince his new side that they should make the deal permanent last night.
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      Fiorentina were already 1-0 down at Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir when disaster struck 20 minutes from time.
      Gollini received a lofted back-pass from a teammate as the hosts quickly pressed from the front.
      But instead of hoofing the ball back down the field, Gollini instead bizarrely attempted to do kick-ups.
      His first two touches were extremely slow and heavy, keeping the ball in the air for longer than desired.
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      In the same time, Serdar Gurler – who opened the scoring for Istanbul 20 minutes earlier – closed the gap and was able to nick the ball away from bewildered Gollini.
      As the ball ran wide, Gurler was able to position his body correctly before firing home from the edge of the box.
      Gollini made a desperate attempt to fling himself in front of the shot, but it was too little, too late.
      Fiorentina’s fight soon went out after conceding the second goal.
      And they eventually shipped a third in the 90th minute to former Chelsea and Aston Villa man Bertrand Traore, making for a 3-0 final scoreline. More

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      Silkeborg 2 West Ham 3: Scamacca thunderbolt helps Hammers to entertaining win as Danes fume at goal harshly ruled out

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      FAR FROM pitch perfect, but West Ham’s winning start in the Europa Conference League continues.Boss David Moyes used the pre-match press conference to voice his concerns over the state of the plastic turf, suggesting any top player would think twice about gracing it.
      Manuel Lanzini equalised from the penalty spotCredit: Rex
      Gianluca Scamacca showed his class with an emphatic finishCredit: Reuters
      Craig Dawson scored in his first start of the seasonCredit: Rex
      Kasper Kusk scored Silkeborg’s first ever Europa Conference League goalCredit: EPA
      Michail Antonio summed up his views on it, donning AstroTurf trainers in the warm-up.
      Those worries briefly came to fruition away in Denmark as Silkeborg took a shock sixth-minute lead through Kasper Kusk’s side-footer.
      But just like they did in their opening group stage victory at home to Romania’s FCSB last week, the Hammers levelled the scores from the spot thanks to Manuel Lanzini.

      By the 25th minute, the lightning-quick comeback was complete thanks to Gianluca Scamacca’s scorching thump into the top corner.
      And seven minutes before the break, Craig Dawson – on his first competitive start since May 22 after a pre-season thigh strain – added a third with a near-post header from a corner.
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      Silkeborg grabbed one back in the 75th minute on a breakaway counter through Soren Tengstedt – but ultimately fell flat in their search for an equaliser.
      Another three goals, another three points in the bag and the knock-outs edge closer in speedy fashion for West Ham – just like when they reached the semi-finals of the Europa League last year.
      Yet Moyes will just be relieved to escape the Nordic region with all of his players still intact after a chastening experience on the slickest and most unforgiving of pitches.
      Dawson and Aaron Cresswell made their returns from injury, while Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet and Lucas Paqueta all started in a strong attacking line-up.
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      Silkeborg did their best to make the fake grass as quick as possible by drenching it with the sprinklers before kick-off, and it had the desired effect against their hesitant opponents.
      Lukas Engel pulled a cross back to Kusk just inside the box and his first-time curled effort into the bottom corner left Alphonse Areola rooted.
      The hosts went close to doubling their lead before West Ham got a slice of luck in the 13th minute with a dodgy penalty call as Cornet fell to the floor after a tug from Tobias Salquist.
      Moyes would have been happy VAR was unavailable for that one as Lanzini slotted home from 12 yards – despite slipping before making contact with the ball.
      Silkeborg continued to pepper Areola’s goal with shots until Cornet won the ball high up the pitch, fed Scamacca and watched him rifle an effort from range past Nicolai Larsen.
      The rub of the green was not with the Danes as ex-Aston Villa striker Nicklas Helenius had a headed goal from a corner ruled out for an alleged push.
      And in the 38th minute, Dawson rose highest in similar fashion to add salt to the wounds.
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      The third goal took the wind out of Silkeborg’s sails as West Ham drifted comfortably in the second half, with Paqueta, Scamacca and Declan Rice all taken off on the hour mark.
      But from their own corner, the visitors were done on the counter, giving the Danish outfit a sniff – and sub Tonni Adamsen then almost produced late drama but for a solid Areola stop. More

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      Classy moment Silkeborg staff give West Ham fans free beers as they collect tickets for Europa Conference League clash

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      SILKEBORG handed out free beer to West Ham fans ahead of their Europa Conference League match.The Danish side took on the Hammers in their second match of Group B.
      Silkeborg staff handed out free cans of Carlsberg to West Ham fans
      Sevilla fans were given free beer by Copenhagen on Wednesday
      And as a gesture of goodwill the club handed out free beers to travelling fans collecting their tickets.
      Several West Ham supporters were impressed with the generosity on show from Silkeborg – with some calling on the East London club to return the favour when the Danes visit in October.
      However, not everyone was won over by the idea of free booze with some jokingly pointing out that it was Carlsberg on offer.
      One fan said: “Class from the Danish.”
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      Another added: “I wouldn’t get too excited, its only Carlsberg.”
      And a third said: “It would be amazing if we could do something in the return game for their fans @WestHamHelp.”

      Some fans also visited a bar owned by former Silkeborg and Bolton player Henrik Pedersen, who helped the Trotters escape relegation from the Premier League in 2003 at the expense of West Ham.
      Silkeborg followed the example set by their fellow Danes Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday.
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      The Danish champions handed out free pints to Sevilla fans to thank them for making the trip to Scandinavia.
      A viral video showed the beautiful moment stewards offered the Sevilla faithful their beverages and the supporters responded by singing in gratitude.
      Fans took to social media to praise Copenhagen for the gesture that proved football can still bring people together. More

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      Frank Lampard and Neil Ruddock pose with PLAYBOY BUNNIES in incredible throwback pics from 1999-2000 Uefa Cup adventure

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      EUROPEAN trips with West Ham are not what they used to be.The Hammers kick-off their Europa Conference League group stage on Thursday against Romania’s FCSB — formerly Steaua Bucharest — at the London Stadium.
      Young Lampard talking to a Playboy bunnyCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Ruddock posing for a photo in BucharestCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Lomas recalls a game away at Steaua BucharestCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      David Moyes’ men are hoping for another stunning journey across the continent after reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League last season.
      Yet nothing will ever match the antics Harry Redknapp’s West Ham got up to in the 1999-2000 campaign — their first in Europe for almost 20 years.
      It began on July 17 against Finland’s Jokerit in the Intertoto Cup — a competition the Hammers would go on to win — and ended on November 4, losing over two legs to Bucharest in the second round of the Uefa Cup.
      The Uefa Cup run gave birth to stories that are still spoken of in hushed tones to this day, from Playboy bunnies in Romania to firing Uzi’s from the boot of a car in Croatia.
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      But it was in the warm-up for the first leg away at Steaua Bucharest where former West Ham midfielder Steve Lomas had his most surreal moment.
      Lomas, 48, said: “It was a crappy old night and this delegation of people came walking out. The whole crowd to a man stood up and cheered.
      “I was with Johnny Moncur and Paul Kitson and I was like, ‘Who the f*** is that? Must be the mayor of Bucharest or the president or something’.
      “There was this big puff of smoke around them and then I saw this big Stetson hat and I suddenly went, ‘That’s f***ing JR Ewing from Dallas!’
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      “All the boys go, ‘F*** off, that ain’t Larry Hagman!’. I said, ‘I’m telling you, that’s him’.
      “I knew all the characters from that show but I didn’t like to admit that too much.
      “So, we ran up and sure enough it was Larry Hagman from Dallas. The Romanians were about ten years behind so the TV show was in its prime over there.
      “Larry Hagman was their superstar and he was here to watch our game. It was bizarre.”
      Di Canio was one of many big characters in Redknapp’s dressing roomCredit: Reuters
      If that was not enough, upon arrival at the hotel in Romania, it quickly became apparent there was a Playboy Bunny convention in town.
      Lomas laughed and added: “You should have seen Harry’s face. The lads were begging to stay. I am sure we drove him mad.”
      Having lost 2-0 in the first leg, a superb performance from visiting keeper Zoltan Ritli denied West Ham a comeback as the second leg at Upton Park ended goalless.
      Lomas admitted: “We were pretty gutted. We were getting the taste for Europe and if we had got past Bucharest we would have had a really good run.”
      Paulo Wanchope contesting the ball in the first legCredit: Reuters
      There was at least something to cheer about in the first round, as the Hammers beat Croatian side Osijek 6-1 on aggregate.
      But what made that trip memorable is scarcely believable.
      Having only gained their independence in 1992 following the break-up of Yugoslavia, the wounds of war were still evident in Croatia.
      He explained: “At the time we had Croatian international Igor Stimac and he brought out this guy that was the leader of around only 300 men who defended Osijek from an army.
      Lomas in the second legCredit: Rex
      “This guy opened up the boot of his car and the arsenal of weaponry was unbelievable.
      “Any military would have been proud of it. A few of the boys were having a go on the guns.
      “You couldn’t imagine that now, players firing Uzi’s from the back of a car. The stories he told us, wow. He had a massive scar. You knew he had been through it.
      “I had seen bullet-ridden things in Belfast having grown up in Northern Ireland but this was completely different. Every house had thousands of rounds in them.
      Di Canio doing his boots up in the European tieCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      “That trip was good fun but a lot of things stick in your memory. We were in what was a war zone. It gave us perspective.”
      Redknapp’s squad at the time was overflowing with characters, from veterans Paulo Di Canio, Neil Razor Ruddock and Stuart Pearce, to up-and-coming talents like Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand.
      Lomas feels Moyes has built something similar, leading the club to successive top-seven finishes.
      Former Hammer Lomas added: “Players want European nights. It is very difficult now as you only have to look at the top of the Premier League and what they are spending.
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      “We want to keep having as many of those nights as we can, especially for the fans. Long may it continue.
      “If David was to get Europe again this year, it would be a staggering achievement.” More