Manchester United fans found themselves on the receiving end of pepper spray by police in Lyon following a gripping 2-2 Europa League stalemate. In the wake of the match, Reds supporters were held back for over an hour at the Groupama Stadium after the final whistle had sounded.
Social media became awash with clips showcasing the harsh aftermath of the authorities’ decision to use pepper spray. Reports from the roughly 2,800 travelling United faithful mentioned that the pepper spray was employed when some tried to leave the designated away section to visit the restroom.
A fan, who uploaded a video of the distressing scenes, remarked on the severity of the situation, mentioning how fellow supporters were left retching from the spray’s impactful consequences, while many condemned the excessive force used by the police as “unacceptable”.
Reflecting on the chaotic experience, a United devotee present at the venue expressed outrage, stating: “This is completely unacceptable. Time and time again, we are subjected to substandard treatment while away in Europe. It has to end. Today has been nothing short of chaotic, with issues surrounding the shuttles, the wristbands, and now this.”
United officials are reportedly scrutinising the incident, and the Manchester United Supporters Trust has called upon fans to submit any evidence of the tear gassing. Duncan Drasdo, the trust’s CEO, openly criticised the approach taken by the French police in Lyon.
Drasdo tweeted: “90% of the time on Euro aways if there is aggro it’s with the police rather than local fans. Most countries can do this right but there are almost always problems with the French police. All too often they create the aggro they are supposed to be preventing.”
United’s evening was marred by disappointment as goalkeeper Andre Onana committed two critical errors, costing them a victory. The team fell behind in the 25th minute after Onana inadequately dealt with Thiago Almada’s free-kick from afar.
Leny Yoro managed to net an equaliser just before the half-time whistle, capitalising on Manuel Ugarte’s volley to nudge the ball into the bottom corner. Joshua Zirkzee then nodded in what appeared to be the decider with only two minutes of regular time remaining.
However, in a dramatic twist at the end, Onana fumbled Georges Mikautadze’s attempt, allowing Rayan Cherki to slot home the rebound. Despite the setback, coach Ruben Amorim refrained from criticising Onana post-match, looking ahead to the second leg at Old Trafford.
“Of course we are really disappointed. We should have taken the one-goal advantage to the next game, but we have the next game in our home and we try to win that game,” he remarked.
“It’s important to focus on the next game. The next game is the league, then we think about the second leg against Lyon. When one player has a mistake, every player has a mistake, so we continue like that.
“It’s going to be a tough game. We know Lyon want to make connections near their box and then use the space. We have to study the game and then try to be better in the second leg. We are going to look at the game, but it’s a different game.
“We have to be prepared but it’s in our stadium. Our fans want us to press all the time and this is a team that is really smart, that try to push us, to use the space behind. We have to be really smart, not just playing with the heart but playing with our head. In the second leg we are going to do that.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk