Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover was injured after a riot on the pitch on December 17. Photo: Reuters.
“Our league has been destroyed,” Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper Danny Vukovic wrote on Twitter. “What happened tonight is a disgrace. Unbelievable this is what happened after a great World Cup, and football has so much potential for future growth. This is the darkest day of Australian football.”
The chaotic scene rarely occurs in the Australian national championship (A.League), in the Melbourne city derby. A group of Melbourne Victory fans flooded the field to attack Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover when a protest against the organizers turned violent.
TV presenter Melanie McLaughlin said she was “scared”, but “mostly sad”, at the sightings, while former Sydney FC player Michael Zullo was “embarrassed and angry”.
“The damage to tonight’s tournament is unimaginable. All work has been ruined. We can only hope that those responsible will be dealt with appropriately. What a shame!” said Zullo.
Former football player Robbie Cornthwaite wrote: “Disgraceful. Shy. If that’s how you react, then we don’t want you in this tournament. Ban them for life. It’s shameful!”
Glover was thrown in the head by a group of extremist fans believed to be from Melbourne Victory, leading to bloodshed. The goalkeeper threw flares back at the Melbourne Victory fans, angering them, flooding the field and attacking him.
According to the original plan, fans of the two teams would go out in the 20th minute of the match to protest against the A.League organizers for their decision to sell the right to organize the finals of the men’s and women’s tournaments in the future. .
A statement from Melbourne Victory said it was saddened and condemned the behavior of this group of fans, and apologized to those “who witnessed the horrible act”.
According to the Guardian, the unprecedented incident has led many to call for a lifetime ban from those responsible for sparking the violence, while also causing them to question the future of the tournament in Australia.
Phuong Linh | 10:59 December 18, 2022
