The Anderlecht crowd trouble in their match against Fenerbahce saw the UEFA Europa League second leg play-off get temporarily suspended.
Fans were seen getting into a huge fight with barely seven minutes of the match gone. Riot police had to storm the stands to break up the series of melees.
At this point, Jose Mourinho’s side was already leading thanks to a goal from Youssef En Nesyri. The assist was provided by former Premier League winner Edin Dzeko.
At the time of writing, Mourinho’s men are leading their Belgian opponents 4-1 on aggregate. Shortly later, the referee led both sets of players off the pitch amidst the ugly scenes.
After the unscheduled break, Luis Vazquez equalised for the Jupiler Pro League side. Now, it appears that tempers in the crowd have cooled and the match should resume without further incident.
Fight in the stands during the Anderlecht vs Fenerbahçe match tonight! The match has been suspended! 🥊🇧🇪🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/fIFGH1Cics
— 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 (@thecasualultra) February 20, 2025
What Caused The Anderlecht Crowd Trouble?
It’s unclear what caused the Anderlecht crowd trouble at this stage but it may well have been the inclusion of an away supporter/s caught in the home end. Which would be extremely rare and difficult for a European game.
Nonetheless, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility. Other reasons could simply be supporters scuffling amongst themselves owing to a trivial reason setting it off.
Another catalyst could be hooliganism. Unfortunately, it does still exist in small pockets across the continent and it’s not unusual to see a team’s ultras travel to watch their team abroad and cause trouble.
Whatever it was, UEFA will be sure to deliver a statement condemning the unruly behaviour and scenes. Alongside racism, it’s something of which the governing body are hoping to completely eradicate.
On the pitch, it appears that Mourinho’s side will be safely advancing to the Europa League last 16 stage. The Portuguese gaffer famously won Europe’s secondary club competition with Man United in 2017.
