Andlerlecht Fans Cause Trouble and Get Detained; Real Sociedad Players Slam UEFA Inaction

In the early hours of October 4, Spanish newspaper Marca reported that according to security departments in the Basque region, during the Europa League match between Real Sociedad and Anderlecht, there was a significant disturbance in the visiting fans’ section, which led to the arrest of five troublemakers by the police.

According to the department, one person was arrested for assaulting a police officer, another for disturbing public order, and a third for property damage and resisting arrest. Additionally, two others were arrested due to their involvement in conflicts within the visiting supporters’ stand.

Approximately 300 radical Anderlecht fans, who had been relatively low-key during the day, revealed their ‘true colors’ at night inside the stadium. They not only damaged some safety barriers but also threw disassembled seats towards the lower stands where Real Sociedad fans were seated. The referee reacted late, and after a brief interruption, the game resumed quickly. It wasn’t until halftime that the Basque police intervened and took away several troublemakers.

After the game, Anderlecht players attempted to thank their supporters, which further infuriated the Real Sociedad players. Players like Odriozola and Oyarzabal all expressed that these fans did not deserve any respect for their behavior during the match.

Oyarzabal commented post-game: “We strongly condemn everything that happened today. Such behavior should not be present in football. A few irrational idiots throwing objects ended up forcing many people to leave early. UEFA needs to take real action; you’ve done nothing. We repeatedly sought help from the referees because objects even flew onto the field, but it took almost 15 minutes to resolve the issue. This is a huge warning sign for UEFA; you must act, or it’s a disgrace.”

The captain of Real Sociedad reiterated: “We firmly oppose such behavior and hope that UEFA will act promptly, because if they only act for the next match, it won’t help us.”

The press officer of Anderlecht club prevented head coach David Hubert from directly commenting on these behaviors during the press conference, but the club condemned the violent actions of the fans. Real Sociedad also condemned these extreme fans and expressed a desire to discuss the matter with UEFA.