Patrick Vieira avoids criminal charges for kicking Everton fan

Merseyside Police have confirmed that Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira will face no criminal charges for kicking an Everton fan during a pitch invasion last week.

The Toffees secured their Premier League survival with a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Palace last Thursday.

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At full-time, Everton supporters swarmed the pitch with one fan goading Vieira as he tried to return to the dressing room. The Frenchman eventually aimed a kick at the male, with the incident being caught on video and then circulated on social media.

On Monday, it was announced that neither Vieira nor the supporter wish to make a formal complaint.

“Merseyside Police has concluded enquiries into an altercation on the pitch following the Everton v Crystal Palace match on Thursday (19 May),” he said.

“Officers have spoken to both men involved and the opportunity to make a formal complaint or support a prosecution was declined.”

Although Vieira will not face any police action, the incident is still being investigated by the FA so he could still be punished.

Speaking about the incident following Palace’s win over United this weekend, the Frenchman said: “The Everton incident is bigger than [just] that incident. There was a lot of pitch invasions that caused trouble. There are real issues here to reflect on and see the best ways to manage it.

“You don’t know what can happen. When you don’t know what can happen you fear for anything, for the players.

“We want to be safe and the best way is to find the best way for those kind of things not to happen. We want to be safe in our workplace. There is a big issue for the FA and Premier League to deal with.

“They need the support and the club and players to get involved as well. It’s not only the FA. Everybody has to take responsibility and see the best way for those things not to happen.”

There has been a spate of unsavoury pitch invasions in recent times with Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp being assaulted by a Nottingham Forest fan following the second leg of their Championship play-off semi-final, and Aston Villa’s Robin Olsen also being struck by Man City supporters on Sunday.

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Source of the article

Author: XenBet