Young Boys Manager Gerardo Seoane Apologises for Fan Violence at Aston Villa

Young Boys manager Gerardo Seoane has issued an apology for the violent behaviour displayed by the club’s supporters during their Europa League match at Aston Villa on Thursday night.

Aston Villa secured a 2–1 victory, with both goals scored by Donyell Malen, who suffered a cut to his head after being struck by objects thrown from the away end. Young Boys fans were also involved in clashes with police at Villa Park.

The match was halted for five minutes as Young Boys captain Loris Benito approached the visiting supporters in an attempt to calm them. Joel Monteiro later scored a late consolation for the Swiss side.

Seoane expressed regret over the conduct of the supporters but suggested they may have reacted to what they perceived as a provocation from the Villa players during their celebrations.

The Young Boys manager also claimed that some supporters had moved down from the stand to speak to the players, but police mistook this for an attempt to enter the pitch, escalating the situation.

“It’s normal that when you score a goal you want to celebrate with your team-mates. Perhaps it was seen as a small provocation — I don’t know,” Seoane said.

“Our fans may have interpreted this as provocation. This is part of football, but our supporters should not react with such anger.

“The referee asked our captain to help calm the crowd. Some supporters came down simply to talk to the players, but the police reacted as though they were trying to invade the pitch, which was not their intention.

“It is unfortunate for everyone involved. Throwing objects is unacceptable. The outcome is disappointing for all — nobody wins in situations like this. We apologise. This is not how our supporters usually behave, nor how we want to represent ourselves as guests.”

Seoane added that football is fuelled by emotion, but emphasised that celebrations should not be misinterpreted: “There is a rule about avoiding provocation. No one does it deliberately; it was simply the joy of scoring.”

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery offered only brief remarks on the incident but criticised the scenes as “not necessary”.

“We need respect on both sides,” he said. “What happened today was unnecessary. Respect is important for everyone. I believe Malen is fine.”

Emery also praised Malen’s development following his sixth goal of the season.

“He is improving progressively. He is getting fitter and has been performing well for the Netherlands. He is doing everything we ask of him tactically, and the goals are a great reward.

“He is helping the team tremendously and performing at a very high level. He just needs to keep going.”