Ugly scenes marred the Europa League match between Aston Villa and Young Boys as away fans clashed with police after Donyell Malen scored twice, even after being struck by a coin.
Shocking scenes of violence erupted in the away section of Villa Park during Aston Villa’s Europa League clash with Young Boys, according to a report from GiveMeSport.
The chaos was sparked after Aston Villa raced to a 2-0 lead before half-time. Netherlands international Donyell Malen scored the opening goal after just 15 minutes, but during his celebration, he was struck by a coin thrown from the away crowd, causing a small cut on his forehead.
After the referee noted the incident, Malen scored his second goal minutes later and celebrated once again in front of the Swiss fans, which “sparked outrage in the stands.”
The volatile reaction prompted police intervention to cool tensions, while Young Boys club captain Loris Benito also attempted to calm his supporters.
However, the situation quickly escalated into a severe scuffle. Commentator Sam Matterface described the events unfolding live for TNT Sports: “The police are now getting involved, and the fights are getting quite severe to be honest with you.”
He added that there were “cups being thrown, there are punches being thrown, there are helmets being lodged off of the top of the heads of policemen. It has turned into a proper scuffle.”
Matterface further reported that supporters were being dragged away, noting:
“There are seats being ripped up and thrown at policemen. And it’s more violent scenes than are necessary. There are policemen tackling supporters who are being dragged out of the front row.”