The Prague derby between Slavia and Sparta was abandoned on Saturday night after Slavia fans stormed the pitch in the 97th minute, just seconds before Slavia would have secured the Czech league title. Slavia were leading 3-2 at the time, a result that would have defended their championship with three games to spare.
Disciplinary Action Imminent
The Czech Football Association's disciplinary committee held an extraordinary meeting on Sunday and stated that "such behaviour will not be tolerated in professional football." Punishment for Slavia could be announced on Tuesday, potentially including forfeiting the match, banning fans from the stadium, and imposing a fine. The committee also opened proceedings against Sparta after their fans used pyrotechnics and damaged the stadium.
Attack on Players
Hundreds of Slavia fans, many carrying flares, invaded the pitch and attacked several Sparta players, including goalkeeper Jakub Surovcik, defender Jakub Martinec, and forward Matyas Vojta. The match was immediately abandoned.
Club Response
Slavia's chief executive, Jaroslav Tvrdik, called the fans' behaviour "unacceptable and deplorable," adding that "the values of Slavia are not hatred and violence." He apologised and stated the club would cooperate with the FA and police. Sparta described the events as "not an isolated excess" but "the culmination of an atmosphere of hatred towards our club."
Measures Taken
Tvrdik announced on Sunday that Slavia would close its north stand, home to die-hard fans, with immediate effect. The stand will remain closed until all perpetrators are identified and brought to justice. The club will work on preventive measures, even if it means closing the stand for the entire 2026-27 season. Perpetrators will receive lifetime bans from the stadium.
Player Suspensions
Slavia also suspended two players who received red cards during the derby: top scorer Tomas Chory and defender David Doudera. Both were banned for the rest of the season and later transfer-listed. They are members of the Czech national team, which has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 20 years.
The Czech FA head, David Trunda, said the incident damaged "Czech football, the clubs, and the overwhelming majority of decent fans."
