LONDON: A Chelsea fan pleaded guilty to assaulting Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka after invading the pitch to celebrate a goal at Stamford Bridge.
Jordan Chidley was involved in the incident with Dubravka in December after Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk scored a late equalizer in the League Cup quarter-final against Newcastle.
The 25-year-old admitted assault by beating and unlawfully going onto a playing area at a football match.
District judge Neeta Minhas issued a three-year, football banning order and fined him £807 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
Prosecutor Malachy Pakenham told the court that Chidley climbed down onto the pitch after the goal and ran over to Dubravka.
“The steward tries to grab him, he then puts his arms out and grabs and touches the goalie who pulls away from him,” Pakenham said.
The prosecutor told the court the contact was “quite minimal.”
Chidley was later arrested and told police he was the person on the pitch, saying his behavior was “due to overexuberant celebrations” in a match eventually won by Chelsea on penalties.
The court heard there is no statement from Dubravka who “appears not to be too alarmed.”
In Chidley’s defense, the court heard what he did was not “malicious” but “it was just euphoria.”
It was said that Chidley is “not a football hooligan” and this was a “one-off incident.”
Chidley was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £323 and costs of £85.
Speaking after the incident, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said: “I have always said the safety of the players, coaches, managers, referees, linesmen, that’s the priority in any football match.
“More has to be done to keep especially irate supporters away from anybody.”
Chelsea fan guilty of assaulting Newcastle’s Dubravka
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Chelsea fan guilty of assaulting Newcastle’s Dubravka
- The 25-year-old admitted assault by beating and unlawfully going onto a playing area at a football match
- District judge Neeta Minhas issued a three-year, football banning order
Rodrygo’s winner lifts Real Madrid past Alaves to end losing streak
- The victory keeps Real second in the standings on 39 points, four adrift of Barcelona, while Alaves are 12th on 18 points
VITORIA-GASTEIZ, Spain: Rodrygo secured Real Madrid a crucial 2-1 victory over Deportivo Alaves on Sunday in LaLiga, ending a dismal run of form and keeping them within four points of leaders Barcelona.
Real, under pressure after two straight losses in all competitions, broke the deadlock through Kylian Mbappe’s stunning first-half strike.
However, a resilient Alaves levelled in the 68th minute through Carlos Vicente. The visitors restored their lead eight minutes later, courtesy of a counter-attack led by Vinicius Jr, whose assist was converted by Rodrygo.
The victory keeps Real second in the standings on 39 points, four adrift of Barcelona, while Alaves are 12th on 18 points.
The narrow triumph in the Basque Country provided manager Xabi Alonso with much-needed breathing space after a run of two wins from their previous eight matches across all competitions.
Sunday’s victory demonstrated Real’s resilience and ongoing weaknesses. Despite taking a 24th-minute lead through Mbappe’s spectacular strike, they found themselves outplayed by an Alaves side roared on by a sold-out Mendizorrotza stadium.
Mbappe had opened the scoring in trademark fashion after Jude Bellingham threaded a long pass to the French forward, who ran down the left channel before cutting inside and unleashing a bullet strike into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Despite Real’s early lead, Alaves grew dominant as the first half progressed. The hosts pressured Real’s makeshift defense, which featured 19-year-old academy graduate Victor Valdepenas in his senior debut at left back.
Alaves’ pressure was eventually rewarded in the 68th minute when substitute Vicente, introduced moments earlier, latched onto Antonio Blanco’s long ball and surged past Real’s high defensive line to finish into the top corner.
Initially flagged offside, Vicente’s goal was awarded after a VAR review confirmed the forward had timed his run perfectly.
Real’s winner came as Vinicius wrestled past a defender on the left flank before driving into the penalty area and delivering a low cross, finding Rodrygo, who slid in to steer the ball home from close range.
“It was a tough, very competitive match,” Alonso told a press conference.
“We started well and took the lead, but then we lost control and, as a result, we didn’t finish well. We had chances in the second half, but we conceded from the only mistake Valdepenas made and Carlos Vicente took advantage of that, after a great pass.
“But the team continued to fight hard, battling it out in a difficult stadium against a very intense opponent. That second goal gave us the three points and we’re leaving here very happy.”
