It was supposed to be a weekend of pure theatre. A showpiece final between Arsenal and Paris St Germain to crown the kings of Europe. Instead, Budapes...
It was supposed to be a weekend of pure theatre. A showpiece final between Arsenal and Paris St Germain to crown the kings of Europe. Instead, Budapest finds itself under a cloud of shame. Hungarian police have confirmed arrests and are trawling through hours of CCTV footage, trying to identify the supporters who chose to settle scores before a ball was even kicked.This is not the headline anyone wanted. We spend all season dissecting low blocks and transitional play, arguing about tactical flexibility and clinical finishing. But this This is the ugly underbelly that the beautiful game simply cannot shake. The authorities have a clear job now. They must isolate the cowards who turned a city of celebration into a scene of aggression. This isn't passion. This is thuggery dressed up in a team kit, and it deserves zero sympathy.The irony, of course, is thick enough to choke on. Here we have two clubs built on flair and attacking verve, and yet the talking point before the final whistle is the behaviour of a few morons in the stands. For the real fans, the ones who saved up for months to see this match, this stinks. They are the ones who suffer, their matchday experience tainted by the actions of those who think a punch is a valid contribution to football culture.Let's be brutally clear. There is no room for this in the modern game. Zero. The police in Budapest are doing the right thing by making examples of those involved. We need bans, public naming, and a total shunning from the football community. Because if you rage in the streets before the final, you do not love the club. You hate the sport. And that, right now, is the bitter taste left in the mouth as we look ahead to the match on the pitch.
