AZ was vindicated on Tuesday by the sports tribunal CAS in a case against UEFA. The European football association imposed a fine of 40,000 euros on AZ due to the disturbances surrounding the Conference League match against Legia Warsaw in 2023.
Supporters of Legia stormed the entrance gate of the AZ stadium before the start of the match and clashed with the ME (riot police). After the match, two players from Legia Warsaw were arrested for assaulting personnel of the Alkmaar club.
AZ received a fine for the disturbances and protested against it. UEFA rejected the protest, but the CAS is now vindicating the club. According to the CAS, the club is not to blame and had taken enough precautions in cooperation with the police.
“This ruling is seen as a confirmation of what AZ was convinced of from moment one,” AZ responds. The club logically does not have to pay the fine now.
The disturbances around the AFAS Stadium caused a lot of commotion. In Poland, there was outrage at the arrest of the two players. Legia spoke of “scandalous events” and condemned the intervention of the police.