Yesterday, Savona and Vasas played a very exciting first game of the LEN Euro Cup final (8:8). The match was played in front of packed stands of the pool “Carlo Zanelli”. 1.500 people attended the match, but one incident disrupted the sports atmosphere.
An incident like this one maybe wouldn’t be worth mentioning in the reports about football games (unfortunately, football fans cause incidents often). Still, it rarely occurs during, before, and after water polo matches.
Today, Vasas issued an official announcement and posted it on its Facebook page:
“Dear Vasas fans!
It is with regret that we learned that during yesterday’s Savona-Vasas match, an atrocity happened to two of our female fans who were present in the swimming pool.
We would like to assure our affected fans of our support, and the club management and the Vasas Fans’ Club will jointly take the necessary steps with the international association and the club in Savona.
In addition, together with Vasas Fans Club, we are compensating the affected persons for the stolen flags and scarves.
Once again, we are very sorry for what happened.”
Vasas didn’t clarify what happened, but the Hungarian website Vlv.hu reached one of the persons involved and found out more details.
The two Vasas’ fans left the stands during the match’s break. A teenage, visibly drunk young man bounded into them, pointed at the ultras present, and then kicked one of the Hungarian female fans without any particular precedent cause. Five people then pushed the other one against the stair railing and took the Vasas flag from her. In the meantime, two of them were on guard, as if “covering” the action. Neither the police nor security else intervened, Vlv published and added that about 10-15 fans had been with Vasas in Savona, including the two ladies who had been cheering Vasas for a long time at all the team’s home and away matches in Hungary and abroad
UPDATE
After we posted this article on our Facebook page, Savona left a comment under Total Waterpolo’s post from its official page (Rari Nantes Savona) and wrote:
“We are very sorry! We completely dissociate ourselves from any episode of violence, especially women!”
