Footballers from the Portuguese team had to intervene to restore calm. Amid so much fear, the match was abandoned.
Regretful and unrepresentative: radical Benfica fans threw torches at the Anoeta Family Stand and at the photographers present in the stadium during the match between the Spanish and Portuguese teams in San Sebastian, for the fourth day of the Champions League group stage .
Not representative: Benfica fans throw flares over the Real Sociedad Family Stand
The reprehensible attitude of the Benfica fans took place in the second half of a match in which Imanol’s team won by three goals to one. About five minutes into the complementary stage, the Portuguese team’s radical fans started lighting flares from the top of Anoeta and throwing stones down.
The first fell on the Family Stand, where there are many children. The second is about the photographers. And there was a third, and a fourth. Former Valencia CF defender Nicolás Otamendi, an Argentine footballer from Benfica, and other teammates made gestures asking their fans to stop as police mobilized to restore calm.
Meanwhile, Mikel Oyarzabal appeared to fake an injury to stop the plays of a match that already looked distorted by what was happening outside. The match referee, Englishman Anthony Taylor, spoke to security officers to decide how to proceed.
At the same time, the Real fans whistled at the actions of the Benfica fans and asked to be evicted from the stadium. There were many Real fans who, not to take any risks, left their seats. “SHAME ON @SLBenfica FANS,” they wrote on Real Sociedad’s official “X” (Twitter) account.
At the end of the match they lit another four or five flares, although they were not thrown into the Real stands.
Benfica’s request for peace a day earlier
Benfica had asked its fans for “impeccable behavior” during their match next Wednesday in San Sebastián against Real Sociedad, recalling the incidents that took place in Milan during the last edition of the Champions League, which ended with injuries and sanctions from UEFA. In the statement, Benfica warned “all subscribers and fans who will be present in San Sebastián of the extreme importance of guiding their support for the team through impeccable behavior throughout the match.”
“Attitudes or behavior that are inappropriate and totally contrary to the spirit and culture of Benfica not only endanger the club’s international image, but also have serious economic consequences,” the statement said.
Source: Goal

Gregory Robert is a sports aficionado and a writer for “Social Bites”. He provides in-depth coverage of the latest sporting events and trends, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the world of sports.