Fans chase Israeli team from field at friendly in Bulgaria

Players from Israeli club Ashdod were chased from the field by fans during a friendly against Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia on Sunday.

The incident occurred in the first minute of stoppage time with Ashdod leading 1–0. After a hard tackle by an Ashdod player resulted in a red card, bottles rained down from the stands and dozens of CSKA fans ran onto the field. 

The fans began to run after the visiting players, who fled into an empty portion of the stands. One fan threw what appeared to be a glass bottle and hit an Ashdod player in the head. 

[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDo75mnomPg]

According to Bulgarian site Sportal.bg, the fans were upset with the physical nature of Ashdod’s play. The foul immediately preceding the violence was the third red card of the match for Ashdod. CSKA supporters, particularly the group known as “Sector G,” are well known for being violent at times. 

CSKA, the most successful club in Bulgarian history, was relegated to the country’s third division after last season due to financial difficulties. Ashdod was relegated to Israel’s second tier after finishing in last place. 

- Dan Gartland