West Ham players could face UEFA charge after defending family members from AZ Alkmaar thugs

West Ham United could see a handful of players banned by UEFA after entering the stands at AZ Alkmaar to protect family members from hooligans.

The Hammers secured their place in the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday evening with a late victory at AZ Alkmaar.

Pablo Fornals' stoppage time strike ensured that David Moyes' side would be on the plane to Prague with the east London outfit beating the Dutch side 3-1 on aggregate.

However, there were ugly scenes post-match as a gang of black-shirted, hooded AZ ultras attempted to enter the area reserved for family and friends behind the dugout.

Captain Declan Rice as well as Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma and Flynn Downes climbed over the advertising hoardings to protect their families whilst West Ham fan Chris Knoll also fought off hooligans.

However, according to the Telegraph, the players in question could face a ban from UEFA despite widespread praise for their actions. That is unless they can convince a commission that they were responding to exceptional circumstances.

In his column with the Telegraph, former Hammers player Joe Cole insisted that the players had no choice, writing: “As for West Ham’s players, I hope that UEFA are not considering any charge in that respect. They did what they had to do.”

AZ, who will be charged over the behaviour of their supporters, have released a statement, which read: “While everyone hoped for a historic European match, it turned into a pitch-black evening due to the events occurring at the referee’s final whistle. It turned into a night to reflect on with shame.

West Ham players celebrate in front of the fans. Image: Alamy

“Not because of the football game played, but because of the behaviour of some attending. Unfortunately, we cannot use the word ‘supporters’ for these people.

“What happened is beyond all bounds. The club again sincerely apologises to West Ham and the thousands of well-minded AZ supporters who have also been inconvenienced by the misconduct.”

It is currently expected that a decision won't be made by UEFA until after the Conference League final scheduled for 7 June given the governing body's silence over the matter. Moyes' side will take on Italian outfit Fiorentina at the Fortuna Arena in Prague.

Topics: West Ham United, Declan Rice, UEFA, Europa Conference League

Dan Hargraves

Dan is a freelance sports journalist currently in his final year studying Football Journalism at the University of Derby. Currently working for SPORTBible and Reach PLC, he has also worked for Snack Media amongst others. His proudest work thus far came at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games where he was a live blogger for the Commonwealth Games Federation, providing sports coverage on the tournament's official website to over a billion people.

@danjhargraves