UEFA Must Take Action: Fan Invades Pitch & Attempts To Attack Sevilla Goalkeeper During Europa League Match
On Thursday, 23rd February, 2023, the Europa League match between PSV Eindhoven and Sevilla FC took an unexpected turn when a fan ran onto the pitch and attempted to attack the Sevilla goalkeeper, Marko Dmitrovic.[0] The fan threw a punch at Dmitrovic, but the Serbian star managed to wrestle him to the ground before being assisted by security and players from both teams.
The incident happened during the final few minutes of the play-off tie, with Sevilla winning 3-2 on aggregate.[1] The fan attempted to break free from Dmitrović, but the goalkeeper successfully restrained him until security arrived and forced the fan off the pitch.[2]
Dmitrovic, who had a brief spell at Charlton earlier in his career, was shocked by the incident but urged UEFA to intervene and ensure such events are ‘well punished'.
The Philips Stadion had seen plenty of action prior to the incident, with Sevilla scoring all their goals within a 10-minute period in the first leg to take control of the contest.[3] PSV was unable to penetrate the Sevilla defence until the manager made a vital substitution on the hour mark.[4]
The PSV vs Sevilla odds for the game expected a high-scoring encounter, however it was not to be as PSV could only draw 2-2 at Utrecht during the weekend.[5] PSV put in another subpar showing on the defensive end.[6] Sevilla's streak of wins came to an end with the 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano.[6]
The game starts at 12:45 p.m[7] ET at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven.[6] It is clear that UEFA must take action to ensure the safety of players and spectators in the future.
0. “Watch fan punch goalkeeper Marko Dmitrović in the face during Europa League football match” 7NEWS, 23 Feb. 2023, https://7news.com.au/sport/soccer/watch-as-rogue-fan-punches-goalkeeper-marko-dmitrovi-in-the-face-before-being-thrown-to-the-ground-c-9852875
1. “PSV Eindhoven vs Sevilla Pick – UEFA Europa League Predictions & Odds 2/23/23” Sports Chat Place, 22 Feb. 2023, https://sportschatplace.com/soccer-picks/2023/psv-eindhoven-vs-sevilla-pick-uefa-europa-league-predictions-odds-2-23-23/
2. “Fan punches soccer goalie during match; keeper wrestles him to ground before security steps in” WGMD Radio, 24 Feb. 2023, https://www.wgmd.com/fan-punches-soccer-goalie-during-match-keeper-wrestles-him-to-ground-before-security-steps-in
3. “Talking Tactics: Van Nistelrooy seeking to get PSV back to Ruud health” LiveScore, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.livescore.com/en/news/talking-tactics-van-nistelrooy-seeking-to-get-psv-back-to-ruud-health-2023022311231448948
4. “PSV knocked out of the Europa League, falling just one goal short” NL Times, 23 Feb. 2023, https://nltimes.nl/2023/02/23/psv-knocked-europa-league-falling-just-one-goal-short
5. “PSV leave it too late and exit the Europa League” Football-Oranje, 23 Feb. 2023, http://www.football-oranje.com/psv-leave-it-too-late-and-exit-the-europa-league/
6. “PSV vs Sevilla prediction, betting odds & free tips 23/02/2023” Pundit Feed, 22 Feb. 2023, https://punditfeed.com/predictions/europe/psv-vs-sevilla-prediction-23-02-2023
7. “PSV vs. Sevilla: Preview, date, time, live stream and how to watch Europa League match in Canada” dazn.com, 22 Feb. 2023, https://www.dazn.com/en-CA/news/soccer/psv-vs-sevilla-preview-date-time-live-stream-and-how-to-watch-europa-league-match-in-canada/164yseaz9034p18yyj1i2lqple
