Poles ordered to pay compensation after soccer riot

Jul 12, 2007
By Mike Collier

VILNIUS – European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, has come down hard on Polish team Legia Warsaw after their fans went on the rampage in Lithuania.

Legia have been expelled from the 2007 UEFA Intertoto Cup and banned from UEFA competition for one future season following weekend crowd trouble at their match against FK Vetra in Vilnius.

With the half-time score at 2-0 in the home team's favor, Legia fans hurled what a UEFA disciplinary panel called “a considerable number” of missiles on to the pitch and, as well as causing damage to the stadium infrastructure, engaged in “ugly and shocking” scenes with police that led match officials to abandon the contest.

As well as their expulsion from this European season and one future campaign should they qualify within the next five years, Legia have been ordered to contact Vėtra within ten days with regard to compensation for the damage caused. Vetra have previously estimated the total cost of damage at some 21,000 euros.

The match, played on 8 July, has been awarded as a 3-0 win to Vėtra by default. The Lithuanian club will progress automatically to the third round, where they will take on English side Blackburn Rovers FC in a potentially lucrative tie that should go some way to paying for stadium repairs.

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