ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Several people were injured after clashes broke out between fans of Sulaimani’s Newroz Sports Club and Zakho Sports Club from Duhok, following a match held at Newroz’s home stadium in Sulaimani, in the east of the Kurdistan Region, on Tuesday.
The two teams were facing off as part of the Iraq Stars League, and with the match nearing its final moments and still goalless, tensions escalated. Fans stormed the pitch, leading to violent confrontations among supporters and even with some players.
Footage obtained by Rudaw showed plastic seats being thrown from the stands, and at least one fan appearing to suffer a serious head injury that left him unconscious. Two other bloodied fans were also seen being rushed off the field by medics, who transferred the injured to nearby hospitals.
While the exact cause of the clashes remains unclear, an injured Zakho SC fan told Rudaw that his eight-month-old daughter went missing during the chaos, but was found shortly afterward.
He claimed the violence erupted after the referee awarded a penalty against one of the players. “My daughter is eight months old, she went missing in the crowd. My leg is injured, and my whole body is in pain,” he said.
Another fan told Rudaw that the clashes erupted after Zakho scored a goal that was believed to be offside.
“The root of the problem was that Zakho SC scored a goal that was offside, and the referee raised his flag. After that, Zakho fans began throwing bottles at the linesman to express their frustration.”
In Matchweek 29 of the league, Newroz SC had aimed to break its streak of two consecutive draws and bring joy to its team and fans, especially given the dissatisfaction of the coaching staff.
For its part, Zakho SC, having lost its last two matches, entered Tuesday’s game under pressure. Frustrated and angry fans were hoping for a much-improved performance from their team after the disappointing results of the previous two matches.
