Josué Pesqueira and Radovan Pankov were arrested by the Dutch police on Thursday evening after the match between AZ and Legia Warsaw (1-0), various Polish media report. A fight near the players bus, in which a security guard was injured, is said to have led to the arrests. Dariusz Mioduski, chairman and owner of Legia, tried in vain to exonerate his players at the police station in Alkmaar.
A spokesperson for the Dutch police only announced that two suspects were arrested for assault after the match. According to Polish reports, it concerns Pesqueira and Pankov. Pesqueira is the 33-year-old captain of Legia and Pankov is his 28-year-old colleague in the center back.
Bizarre! Exclusive images from the Legia player bus show conflict between Legia employees/players and the Dutch mobile unit. #AZLEG pic.twitter.com/0OlwOslm1O
— Football Ultras (@VoetbalUltras) October 5, 2023
According to rumors, the duo attempted to enter the team bus after the match in the AFAS Stadium, but security did not let the defenders past. After an attempt to force a door, a fight ensued, during which a security guard suffered a concussion and a broken elbow. He was said to have been taken to hospital, after which the players were arrested.
Mioduski hoped to get his players released on Thursday night, but was told the duo had to spend the night in jail. AZ is said to be considering legal action against the Polish top club. In the meantime, images of a conflict between Legia players (and employees) and Dutch police are circulating on the internet.
The police are expected to provide more information about the conflict on Friday. The Polish TVP Sports reports that Mioduski was hit, although the medium does not make it clear whether the police or security were guilty of this.
Unrest around the AFAS Stadium
Even before the match between AZ and Legia, it was uneasy around the AFAS Stadium in Alkmaar. Polish supporters stormed the entrance gate, after which the riot police intervened. However, they could not prevent the Legia fans from entering the stadium. A riot police employee was even allegedly knocked unconscious. The police speak of intense violence from Polish fans towards stewards and officers, who were unable to make any arrests.
The police provide a short statement on the website, in which the blame is placed on Legia. “In the preparation for this match, agreements were made by the Dutch police, that of Warsaw and with Legia about the way in which Legia supporters could attend the match. Due to the festivities in the city center of Alkmaar around 450 years of the Relief of Alkmaar, it was not possible to receive visiting football supporters in the city. During the course of the match day it became clear that Legia Warsaw had not fulfilled these agreements.”