Manchester City team bus damaged by Liverpool fans en route to Champions League game
Manchester City’s team bus was damaged by Liverpool fans on its way to Anfield Wednesday night before the Champions League quarterfinal first leg between the two teams.
No players or City staff members were harmed, but the damage reportedly made the bus undrivable.
Manchester City team bus badly damaged by projectiles while makin its way through crowds to Anfield. Nobody hurt but bus has been rendered undriveable and a replacement sent. Liverpool expected to issue a statement apologising and have apologised at boardroom level #LFC #MCFC
— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) April 4, 2018
Driver's door of City coach smashed – Uefa investigating, taking snaps – want a new vehicle to go home by…
— jamie jackson (@JamieJackson___) April 4, 2018
Video captured outside Anfield showed Liverpool fans hurling bottles and other debris at the bus as it arrived at the ground:
City bus arrives at Anfield. A few cans, flares and bottles thrown at it. The smashed bottle (which you can see towards the end of the vid) nearly landed on my head, which would’ve served me right tbf pic.twitter.com/NgMep0LAhP
— Sam Lee (@Sammy_Goal) April 4, 2018
Both managers commented on the bus incidents before the match:
"For Liverpool FC, I have to say sorry" – Klopp.
"I know this is not Liverpool" – Pep.
Jurgen Klopp & Pep Guardiola spoke to @DesKellyBTS ahead of kick-off at Anfield. #LIVMCI pic.twitter.com/wJFXeJtoky
— eir Sport (@eirSport) April 4, 2018
Liverpool released a statement shortly before kickoff calling the fans’ actions “completely unacceptable”:
The club condemns in the strongest possible terms the scenes which preceded our Champions League quarter-final, which resulted in damage being inflicted on the Manchester City team bus during their arrival at Anfield.
We apologize unreservedly to Pep Guardiola, his players, staff and officials caught up in the incident.
The behaviour of a number of individuals was completely unacceptable and the club will cooperate fully with the authorities to identify those responsible.
The priority now is to establish the facts and offer Manchester City whatever support is necessary.
Club executives also reportedly apologized directly to Man City executives.
The game kicked off without further incident, but City will reportedly require a replacement bus to return to Manchester after the game.
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Henry Bushnell covers global soccer, and occasionally other ball games, for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Question? Comment? Email him at henrydbushnell@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @HenryBushnell.
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