Plastic cups baptized and bled…and the captain kept his cool

Fiorentina captain Cristiano Biraghi responded calmly to the unsportsmanlike conduct.

Fiorentina fell 1-2 to West Ham United in the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) final of the 2022-23 season at 4:00 a.m. ET on Monday at the Eden Arena in Prague, Czech Republic. Fiorentina finished as runners-up in the competition.

The first half was tense. After conceding a goal to West Ham less than a minute into the match, Fiorentina tried to fight back through Giacomo Bonaventura and Biraghi. It was not to be. Declan Rice shot wide in the 12th minute and Nikola Milenkovic headed wide from a Viraghi cross in the 26th minute.

There was a frowned upon moment midway through the first half. In the 33rd minute, Fiorentina was awarded a corner kick and Biraghi walked to the corner flag to take it. At this point, West Ham fans threw plastic water bottles and cups at him, some of which hit him in the head. Biragi’s head was bleeding, with blood running down the back of his head and neck. The referee stopped the game, and West Ham players, including West Ham captain Rice, had to calm the West Ham fans down. An announcement was then made on the pitch asking fans to show respect for the players and not throw things.

Despite this, Viragi was undeterred. He turned around and applauded the West Ham fans who were throwing cups at him. It could have been a sarcastic jab at the West Ham fans, but he handled the situation without getting upset, even though he had a large cut on his head. Even after the incident was over and play resumed, Biraghi didn’t show any reaction and played the entirety of the match with a bandage on his head.토토사이트

Unfortunately, Fiorentina finished as runners-up. After conceding the opening goal in the second half, they came back to equalize, only to concede the winner to Jerrod Bowen in stoppage time.

After the game, Biraghi told Italy’s Sky Sports that he was disappointed with the runners-up finish, saying, “My biggest disappointment is not being able to bring the trophy back to Fiorentina for the fans who were cheering for us,” before looking to the fans. “I hope there will be someone to judge this properly,” he said of his head wound.

West Ham, meanwhile, released an official statement condemning the fans’ behavior.