How can West Ham expect to cope in tonight's game and does Sevilla's European pedigree give them the advantage were the questions many fans were asking as they travelled to see their team play in a 'proper' European Cup tie for the first time in over 40 years!
Unfortunately a bit of pre-meditated hooliganism perpetrated by Eintrecht Frankfurt Ultra fans who had seen their side triumph 2-1 earlier on Wednesday at Real Betis, who are managed by ex-Hammers manager Manuel Pellegrini and are city rivals of Sevilla, put paid to all of that.
Hoping to provoke a confrontation, Eintrecht Frankfurt Ultras had stayed on from their game and freshly fuelled up with cheap booze spent most of the day 'taunting' ANY group of West Ham fans about the amount of money Hammers had paid Eintrecht for Sebastien Haller.
After their efforts had failed and as the day wore on, 'Ze Germans' ever resourceful when it comes to matters of conflict, contrived to create a 'perfect storm' of an attack in the area most densely populated with Hammers fans centering on the Irish Pub and Bar, a well known drinking hole for visiting fans.
The media were briefed in advance according to friends of the site who live in Seville, one of them Pedron Himenez who lives right near the epicentre of events said" This was definitely a well thought and carefully planned 'assault', they even tried using spotters on scooters, but as the day wore on and the effects of all the alcohol took their toll they looked less and less likely to cause the amount of trouble they had initially planned and so it proved".
Apart from the obvious 'They were moronic right wing football hooligans enjoying a jolly in the South of Spain running riot fuelled up on cheap booze' tag, is there any other reason as to why they did what they did? UEFA and FIFA have been watching West Ham United closeley ever since the club were denied access to one away game following a bunch of idiots rushing a gate to get in.
The Eintrecht Ultra's clearly intended to gain an advantage for their team's progress by getting a potential competitor's fans banned from attending games, safe in the knowledge that their actions will receive absolutely NO sanction, because their club will publicly disown them, while privately still fund their Ultra's social club, which includes the facility to travel to away games cheaply and en masse!
You know that Franfurt will get away with it, and West Ham? we shall see. - Ed
Comments
You have to question the
You have to question the authorities that thought it was a good idea to have both sets of supporters "in town" at the same time. Trouble was predicted weeks ago. Frankfurt have a reputation particularly in Europe. There was mayhem a few years ago in Marseilles with these clowns in town.