Anderlecht in Danger of Being Tossed from UEFA Cup

At the end of the Anderlecht’s home UEFA Cup draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, Spurs midfielder Didier Zokora was hit by a lighter thrown from the stands. Other items were thrown as well — keeper Paul Robinson found a metal rod on the pitch — and Zokora alleged he was also the victim of verbal abuse (he started his career at Genk, Anderlecht’s domestic rivals) throughout the match. Not surprisingly, UEFA announced yesterday that they’ve launched an investigation in the behavior of Anderlecht supporters.

Though the investigation could end with a punishment as small as a fine, the fact that Anderlecht have already been fined this year for crowd trouble during a Champions League qualifying match with Fenerbahce makes it seem likely that the result could be something more severe. Of course, given that UEFA have also chosen to do nothing about other serious incidents (including racist abuse by Lazio supporters during Champions League matches), it’s really anyone’s guess what sort of mood they’ll be in when they meet on December 13 to make the decision.

The Offside Blogging Team can also be found at these Offside blogs:
Roma | World Cup | LA Galaxy | Serie A | Les Bleus | Gli Azzurri | Serbia

Some Related Stories:

Category: Europe, World Football