Slavia Prague Derby Abandoned After Fan Invasion

On Saturday, the Czech league derby between Slavia Prague and Sparta Prague at the Fortuna Arena was halted in the seventh minute of stoppage time when hundreds of Slavia supporters breached security, entered the pitch with lit flares, and approached the away section. During the chaos, Sparta goalkeeper Jakub Surovcik was assaulted with liquid thrown at his face. The match, with Slavia leading 3-2, was abandoned.

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Before the incident, Slavia held an eight-point advantage over Sparta with four rounds remaining. A victory would have extended the lead to an unassailable 11 points, effectively securing the league title. If the disciplinary body awards Sparta a win, the gap shrinks to five points with three matches left.

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Hundreds of fans entered the pitch, many carrying flares, and launched pyrotechnics toward the away supporters. The match was stopped at 90+7 minutes with Slavia ahead 3-2 and abandoned. Slavia announced lifetime bans for the perpetrators and warned that the North Stand could be closed for the entire 2026-2027 season. Players Tomas Chory and David Doudera, shown red cards, will not play for Slavia again and have been cleared for transfer.

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Slavia chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik called the incident a disgrace, apologized to Sparta, and pledged to identify and ban all involved fans for life while considering the North Stand closure. Sparta’s statement rejected the notion of an isolated event, described a buildup of hatred, and pledged full cooperation with authorities. The LFA labeled the behavior completely unacceptable, affirmed zero tolerance, and pledged maximum cooperation with police to identify perpetrators.

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Sparta argued the violence reflected a long-term atmosphere of hatred toward the club and warned that fans, players and staff must not fear for their safety. The LFA’s statement reinforced that physical attacks cross a non-negotiable line and will not be tolerated.

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If the disciplinary committee awards Sparta a win, Slavia’s advantage shrinks to five points with three matches remaining, turning a near-certain title into a contested race.

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Slavia will host Jablonec on Wednesday, while Sparta faces Viktoria Plzen the next day. The LFA disciplinary committee will decide sanctions and whether the match will be replayed or forfeited.

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• “Even if that means closing the North Stand for the entire 2026-2027 season,” — Jaroslav Tvrdik, Slavia chairman

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• “We will not negotiate on the safety of players and respect for the opponent.” — Jaroslav Tvrdik, Slavia chairman

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• “On Sunday, Sparta posted a statement to say they did not believe the episode was an “isolated incident” “We believe this was a culmination of an atmosphere of hatred towards our club that has been built up over the long term and on multiple levels.” — Sparta Prague spokesperson

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• “ In a statement, the LFA said: “Physical attacks on players, members of the implementation teams or other actors of the match represent crossing the line.” — Czech Football Association (LFA)

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