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Fenerbahce fans damage seats and throw ‘fireworks’ towards Nottingham Forest players

Fenerbahce fans damage seats and throw ‘fireworks’ towards Nottingham Forest players during the Europa League fixture on Thursday.

The play-off second leg at the City Ground had to be halted for three minutes, when Nottingham Forest players Jair Cunha and Neco Williams dodged pyro thrown onto the pitch by Fenerbahce’s 1,500-strong support shortly after the game started.

Fenerbahce defender Archie Brown went over to help clear some of it off the pitch, only for it to happen again after Fenerbahce’s 22nd-minute opener by Kerem Akturkoglu.

Forest lost the game 2-1, but advanced 4-2 on aggregate (thanks to their 3-0 first-leg win) to reach the last 16, where they’ll face either Real Betis or FC Midtjylland.

@lukeyboy1865: I know it always gets said but I got searched going in tonight 😂 How do they get this in??

@PhysioPeck: Mental they can do this but if I want a bottle of coke I’m not allowed the lid

@WarboRedDog: Pyro’s are against the law in UK stadiums it just proves they weren’t searched well enough. Did the stewards & police, if there were any in the stadium, do anything ? I bet they didn’t yet us British fans can’t even smoke a fag

@GaryKirby28: They picked the pyros up off the pitch but didn’t see any stewards go into them no (but it was at opposite end)

@SabriLamouchi11: So let me get this right, you arrested someone for throwing a pyro into the home section? Well done, but that doesn’t excuse the fact there were 30 pyros lit up whilst we’re meant to remove a bottle cap?

Speaking to Football Insider, former referee Keith Hackett said: “Nottingham Forest should determine the cost of the replacement of these seats and any loss of revenue while they are not in use.

“On top of that, they should ban Fenerbahce fans from attending the next three UEFA away games involving this club and a fine of €250,000 (£218,600).“

A fan in the away end also tried to taunt the Nottingham Forest supporters by revealing a Derby shirt under his Fenerbahce strip.

NottsPolice Football tweeted: “Those #NFFC fans asking why “away fans can get away with Pyros” – an arrest has been made this evening in relation to pyro being thrown into home fan areas.

“UEFA will investigate the conduct of some Fenerbahce fans. As always. Thank you for your behaviour. Credit to the Club.”

@Luke18652110: I’m sorry but its all well and good tweeting this but it wasn’t just 1 pyro or 1 fan. There were hundreds. Istanbul you were allowed 3 items and thats it. Home fans get searched. Away fans allowed to seemingly bring in what they like… where’s there searches pre game?

@NFFC_owen: Forest fan – get near enough strip searched on the way in. Fenerbache fans – bring in enough pyro it would’ve gave London NYE fireworks a run for the money

@U2_Fans_Tour: How @Fenerbahce fans left our ground @NFFC. We can’t take a plastic bottle lid flares on the pitch chucking missiles at the home fans and the stewards did nothing where was the searches we get searched every game, if we did that abroad we would have riot police at us shameful

@ForestFanF13794: Send the bill to @Fenerbahce Absolutely. Disgusting. I’d like an explanation as to why Fenerbahce treated our fans like criminals, busing them in hours before the game & keeping them there for so long after, but last night @NFFC @NFFCServices allowed pyros, in fighting & this?

@Barnabus73: @Fenerbahce @Fenerbahce_EN Unacceptable. The reverse fixture in Istanbul, fans had asthma inhalers/essential personal items confiscated. FEN had 🧨😡 #NFFC fans Waited hours inside ground before KO. YOUR FANS do this? Appalling behaviour and representation of your club

@mallyslife_: Absolute scum, UEFA better come down hard on them!! @Fenerbahce I hope you are ashamed!!!! #NFFC

Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira, speaking to TNT Sports: “When you change half of the team it is not easy to keep the level. It was my responsibility because we have an important game in three days. I decided to recover some players to have energy in the next game, but it is not easy when you change a lot.

“We conceded a goal and we lost the confidence to play. It was difficult for me to do four subs at the same time but I spoke to the players and said it was my decision and we needed to do it because the game came into a dangerous situation for us.

“They scored the second but then we started to play to our level. We scored. This is important to keep in our minds, Europa League is not easy. I know Fenerbahce very well and they came here to fight for the result.

“For me I know if you change five players you don’t know what will happen. If we scored first maybe we get the confidence and we play with five new players on the pitch. With stress and pressure it was difficult for them to be themselves because they are not playing every match. In the end we are in the competition. In the second half we controlled the game and result, let’s move forward.”

Nottingham Forest’s Callum Hudson-Odoi, speaking to TNT Sports: “I think we made it difficult for ourselves. Sometimes you know when you are in the lead and sometimes you are comfortable. We showed a great reaction after the second goal. The most important thing is that we are through.”

Much needed half-time team talk? “100%. It was needed to up the levels a bit more and focus on what we know more which is us playing football and the high press. We reacted very well.

“When the ball came I just looked at it and felt confident I could get a shot off. Happy with that.

“In situations like that when they get a couple of goals you have to calm the game down. We had to focus on what we know as best, trying to get the ball and trying to create chances. We have to keep working hard on the little things.

“Every game from now until the end of the season is a final for us. We have to be ready for every game and keep working hard.”

Fenerbahce’s Domenico Tedesco said: “I think we played a good match. I am very proud of Fenerbahçe tonight because it wasn’t easy. Looking at the first match, we performed well below our usual level. Our opponent, with their new coach, performed above average. Actually, we lost the tie with the score we got at home. Today, we performed very well. We didn’t just fight; we played with a very offensive system. We created many scoring opportunities; we could have scored the second goal in the first half. We had many chances and made many crosses. We had many players in the penalty area. All my players gave a fantastic performance today.”

Commenting on the performance of his players: “Tarık put in a very good performance. It wasn’t easy for him; he suddenly found himself in the starting eleven from the stands. He already performs well in the matches he plays. Since we know his mentality, his performance wasn’t a surprise. Similarly, Alaettin’s performance wasn’t a surprise for us either. He already trains with us, and we sometimes send him to the youth team to get playing time. He scores goals there too. We are happy about that. He really has great potential. I also want to mention my other players. Oğuz, for example, has been absent for a few weeks. Today, he was very decisive, especially before the second goal. Despite all the problems and injuries the team has experienced, it showed that it is alive and strong. We are somehow finding a way out and performing well. We also played in a new system. Whether we played with three or five defenders at the back didn’t matter to us. Because what was important for us was to be on the field with an offensive mentality. That’s how I interpret this formation; just attacking and attacking.”

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