Ugly and condemnable scenes overshadowed an otherwise hard-fought encounter between two top teams in Maltese Water polo namely San Ġiljan and Sliema.
In the 4th session Italian referee Fabio Brasiliano awarded a penalty for what he judged to be a foul by Russell Caruana, a decision that sparked furious protests from the San Ġiljan players and supporters. Barroso converted the decisive penalty, and in the ensuing attack, San Ġiljan appealed for a penalty of their own, but Marinic-Kragic shot immediately instead of taking advantage of the extra-man situation.
At the final whistle, the San Ġiljan protests continued, with the Italian referee having to be escorted away by security officials after objects were thrown in his direction. It was a disappointing end to what had otherwise been a fiercely contested and evenly balanced match.
San Ġiljan issue aplogy statement
In the meantime San Ġiljan ASC said in a facebook post that the Club strongly condemns the unacceptable behaviour witnessed at the conclusion of this match, where objects were thrown from the stands.
The statement read: ‘While we recognise the deep frustration felt by our supporters, particularly in light of a series of decisions that have gone against the Club in recent times, there can be no justification for actions that compromise the safety and integrity of the game.
Our Club has always stood for the highest values of sport including respect for match officials, opponents, and the rules of the game, even when decisions are perceived to be unfair or unfavourable. These principles must continue to guide us, especially during difficult moments.
The Club will cooperate fully with the relevant authorities to identify those responsible for these incidents and appropriate action will be taken against anyone found to have engaged in such conduct’
The statement concluded: ‘We thank the vast majority of our supporters who continue to back the team passionately and responsibly and we urge everyone to ensure that our support is always expressed in a manner that reflects the values of our Club’
