Thursday night's Europa League encounter between Aston Villa and Swiss side BSC Young Boys was brutally overshadowed by widespread violence from the travelling supporters, marking a disturbing new low for football-related disorder on English soil.
Pitchside Chaos and Police Assaults
Shocking new footage captured the moment police officers attempting to keep the peace were punched in the face by travelling Young Boys fans. Approximately 1,200 supporters made the journey to Birmingham's Villa Park, where a significant number were seen aggressively pushing against the line of police and stewards encircling the pitch.
The air was thick with tension as bottles and other missiles flew from the stands onto the turf. Hooligans, many dressed in black and draped in the club's distinctive black-and-yellow scarves, threw punches as they fought against the security barricade. The situation escalated further when fans began ripping up seats and hurling them at police officers, alongside a barrage of plastic glasses.
Players Targeted by Missiles
The violence was not confined to clashes with authorities. Aston Villa forward Donyell Malen was struck on the head by an object thrown from the away stand while celebrating his opening goal in the 27th minute. The impact left the Netherlands international with a visible cut. Astonishingly, Malen was targeted a second time after he scored Villa's second goal, putting the team 2-0 up.
The match was temporarily halted as fans wreaked havoc, leading to two supporters being dragged from the stands in handcuffs. In a bid to restore calm, Young Boys captain Loris Benito went over to the away end to plead with the travellers, while referee Georgi Kabakov held discussions with both managers.
Fallout and Apologies
When questioned about the violence after the full-time whistle, the twice-struck Malen downplayed the incident, stating, 'It is what it is. It's fine, it's fine.' In contrast, Young Boys manager Gerardo Seoane offered a more comprehensive apology on behalf of the club's supporters.
'I think this is part of football and our fans should not react so heavily,' Seoane said. 'It's a pity from everybody – from the provocations, from throwing the objects... for sure, we apologise. We don't feel good as the way our supporters are normal is not what we how we want to act when we are guests somewhere.'
However, captain Benito was less conciliatory, choosing to point the finger at the police response. 'The police also acted incorrectly,' Benito claimed. 'Their job is to de-escalate, not escalate.'
This is not an isolated incident for Young Boys; their supporters have been sanctioned five times since 2020, accumulating £110,000 in fines for five separate incidents of misbehaviour, including at fixtures against both Manchester United and Manchester City. UEFA is now expected to hit the Swiss club with a substantial punishment, with precedents such as AS Roma's £26,274 fine and partial stadium closure for fan trouble this season.
