Hundreds of supporters stormed the pitch carrying lit flares during the 97th minute of the Prague derby.
Geert van Erven/BSR Agency/Getty Images
Slavia Prague’s chairman has pledged to issue lifetime bans to hundreds of fans who rushed the field and forced the club’s potential league-clinching match to be halted, with a rival Sparta Prague player being assaulted in the process.
Slavia supporters invaded the pitch while the team was just minutes away from securing the Czech league title with a victory over city rivals Sparta on Saturday, leading to the match being stopped in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
Slavia held a 3-2 lead, with play still ongoing, when hundreds of its fans breached security and stormed the field at the club’s Fortuna Arena. Many of those entering the playing area were seen holding lit flares.
Video from the incident showed numerous pitch invaders moving toward the away section, where Sparta fans were located, with pyrotechnics being thrown at rival supporters in chaotic scenes.
What happened to the players?
Both sets of players were seen desperately trying to sprint off the pitch as fans entered with flares.
On Sunday, Slavia confirmed that they had identified and banned for life a fan who attacked Sparta goalkeeper Jakub Surovcik. Footage broadcast on Czech TV channel OnePlay Sport showed Surovcik having liquid thrown into his face by an individual who had entered the field.
In a social media post after the match, goalkeeper Surovcik stated: “For someone to run up and threaten me to my face during the match, accompanied by an assault, is absolutely unacceptable, and I will be pursuing this through legal channels.”
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What has Slavia said?
On Sunday, Slavia chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik described the scenes as “a disgrace that we all bear” and confirmed the club will work to identify and issue lifetime bans to those who entered the pitch.
Tvrdik apologized to Sparta as a club and its fanbase, while noting that Sparta players Surovcik, Jakub Martinc, and Matyas Vojta were all caught up in the incidents on the field. “We all left the stadium with broken hearts,” Tvrdik said.
He also confirmed that the north stand of the Fortuna Arena—from where fans stormed the pitch—would be closed indefinitely until the perpetrators “have been identified and brought before the criminal justice authorities.”
“Even if that means closing the North Stand for the entire 2026-2027 season,” said Tvrdik. “We will not negotiate on the safety of players and respect for the opponent.”
Slavia stated they supported the decision to abandon the match.
Separately, Tvrdik added that Slavia players Tomas Chory and David Doudera, who were both shown red cards during the match, would “never play for the club again.”
“Both players were removed from the squad until the end of the season. Both received approval to transfer in the summer. Neither of them will play for Slavia again.”
What was Sparta’s response?
On Sunday, Sparta issued a statement saying they did not consider the episode an “isolated incident.”
“We believe this was a culmination of an ongoing pattern of behavior that has escalated over time. It is not just about one game or one fan; it reflects a deeper issue within the club’s fan culture and security management,” the statement read. Sparta also called for a thorough investigation and stricter sanctions to prevent future violence.
