Player whipped by fan during confrontation after Saudi Super Cup final
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A fan at the Saudi Super Cup final lashed an Al-Ittihad player with a whip during a confrontation moments after the match Thursday night.
The incident occurred following Al-Ittihad's 4-1 loss to Al-Hilal in the final played at Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium.
A video circulating on social media shows striker Abderrazak Hamdallah throwing water from a bottle at the fan, who responds by pulling out a long whip and lashing at the Moroccan twice — appearing to hit the player's back the second time.
The 33-year-old Hamdallah, who had missed a penalty but later scored his team's only goal during the game, did not appear to be injured.
As Hamdallah's teammates stepped in, the fan was guided away by another spectator and a security official. In the video, the fan did not appear to be detained.
A young fan in a wheelchair was nearly caught in the middle of the altercation.
In 2023, the Super Cup was expanded from a single game between the league champions and King’s Cup winners to include the runners-up from both competitions. It was also moved to Abu Dhabi.
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