Jack Grealish, Monica Seles, Eric Cantona: Athletes Who Got Into A Tussle With Heckling Fans
1/5
A Skirmish With Delinquent Fan
By Rohan Abraham
A frustrating outcome or a heckling fan can make even the greatest athletes lose their cool once in a while. Here are some instances when things went south.
The sporting arena can be an emotionally-charged tinderbox. In the Midlands derby this month, Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish was punched in the back of the head by a pitch invader who was later identified as a fan of bitter rivals, Birmingham. Villa gained the ascendancy after the interruption, and a Grealish goal in the second half proved to be the difference between the teams. Other athletes who have had similar skirmishes with delinquent fans have been less fortunate.
(Image: Agencies)
(In pic from left: Jack Grealish, Monica Seles, Eric Cantona)
A frustrating outcome or a heckling fan can make even the greatest athletes lose their cool once in a while. Here are some instances when things went south.
The sporting arena can be an emotionally-charged tinderbox. In the Midlands derby this month, Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish was punched in the back of the head by a pitch invader who was later identified as a fan of bitter rivals, Birmingham. Villa gained the ascendancy after the interruption, and a Grealish goal in the second half proved to be the difference between the teams. Other athletes who have had similar skirmishes with delinquent fans have been less fortunate.
(Image: Agencies)
(In pic from left: Jack Grealish, Monica Seles, Eric Cantona)
2/5
An Attack On The Track
The Brazilian athlete, Vanderlei de Lima, was in pole position to bag a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics till he was assaulted by a defrocked Irish priest. Neil Horan pushed de Lima off the track whilst shouting that the second coming of Jesus was near. De Lima, who was leading at the 22-mile mark, did not recover from the psychological shock, and finished third.
3/5
Kung-Fu Style Kick For A Fan
Football fans are not an entirely blameless lot. In January 1995, Manchester United’s Eric Cantona was sent off against Crystal Palace. As Cantona made his way towards the tunnel, he was approached by a Palace fan who reportedly spoke harshly to the French forward. In the ensuing moments, Cantona — who is known to have a short fuse — lunged into him with a kung-fu style kick. The incident, which tarnished Cantona’s career, has been immortalised as the most famous common assault case in the UK.
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4/5
Irreversible Damage
An early bloomer, from erstwhile Yugoslavia, Seles, claimed the WTA World No 1 ranking at the tender age of 17. While still in her teenage years, she had won eight Grand Slam titles and established a fierce rivalry with Steffi Graf, who she had unseated to claim top spot.
In April 1993, a spectator ran onto the court at the Hamburg Open and stabbed Seles between the shoulder blades with a boning knife. The assailant was identified as Günter Parche, a German man obsessed with Graf. Seles did not return to competitive tennis for over two years, and despite her relative youth, she could not replicate her early promise upon making a comeback.
In April 1993, a spectator ran onto the court at the Hamburg Open and stabbed Seles between the shoulder blades with a boning knife. The assailant was identified as Günter Parche, a German man obsessed with Graf. Seles did not return to competitive tennis for over two years, and despite her relative youth, she could not replicate her early promise upon making a comeback.
5/5
Struck By A Lit Flare
Local rivals tend to exchange more than friendly fire. The Milan derby has always been a boisterous affair, but the 2005 encounter between AC Milan and Inter Milan produced more than just jeers. Play was suspended after 73 minutes when Milan’s Brazilian goalkeeper, Dida, was hit on the head by a lit flare thrown onto the pitch.
Inter fans took to throwing flares after the referee disallowed what they deemed was a fair goal scored by Esteban Cambiasso. Dida was also subjected to racially abusive chants from opposition fans. AC Milan was awarded victory, but the events of the night stained the reputation of Italian football.
Inter fans took to throwing flares after the referee disallowed what they deemed was a fair goal scored by Esteban Cambiasso. Dida was also subjected to racially abusive chants from opposition fans. AC Milan was awarded victory, but the events of the night stained the reputation of Italian football.
