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Athletic Condemns Flare Throwing in Rome: Players Had to Calm Fans
Athletic Club has condemned the flare throwing by some of its supporters at the Stadio Olimpico in the Italian capital during the Europa League match against AS Roma, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
In an "official" statement, the rojiblanco entity states in Basque that "Hau ez da gure estiloa" (this is not our style) and "wants to show zero tolerance for situations like the one that occurred at the Olimpico in Rome."
For this reason, Athletic "wants to express its strongest condemnation of the unacceptable acts perpetrated by a minority of people who traveled to the Europa League match against AS Roma and who were located in the visiting stands."
"During the match," continues the statement, "this small group lit flares and threw some of them into the local stands, violating safety regulations and tarnishing the image of our supporters, known for their exemplary behavior and unconditional support for the team in any circumstance."
For the club, led by Jon Uriarte, "these attitudes do not represent the historic values of Athletic Club, such as respect, sportsmanship, and coexistence."
In this regard, it reminds that "the club always works to promote a positive environment at sporting events, both at San Mamés and during its travels, and will tirelessly fight to prevent behaviors that endanger the safety of attendees or tarnish the reputation of our fans."
This echoes the words expressed by their coach, Ernesto Valverde, at the end of the match, stating: "For all of us, football is a celebration, and this is not football; we don't like it."
Athletic also states that, "in collaboration with the relevant authorities, it is already taking the necessary measures to identify those responsible and ensure that appropriate sanctions are applied."
"The club," it adds, "will work to eradicate these behaviors, with zero tolerance. This minority does not represent our fans. Captain Óscar de Marcos, along with Iñaki Williams, has made it clear to this minority of supporters after the match that their attitude is unacceptable."
On the other hand, Athletic "thanks the vast majority of its supporters for their behavior in Rome," as they "continue to demonstrate their commitment to the club and the values that make us unique. They have once again shown this during a trip of 3,000 people to the Italian capital without any incidents, proudly displaying our colors and identity."
Finally, Athletic "wants to apologize to AS Roma and its fans, who were affected by the attitude of these supporters of the Biscayan team."