Fiorentina midfielder Alessandro Bianco suffered a broken nose after an altercation with a pitch invader during his side’s win over Sivasspor.
The Italian side traveled to Turkey with a 1-0 aggregate lead in their second leg of the Europa Conference League Round of 16 on Thursday.
Bianco clenched his nose after being hit by the fan
A 4-1 win comfortably saw the Serie A side advance to the quarter-finals, but the game was marred by a pitch invasion by members of the home support.
After Gaetano Castrovilli netted La Viola’s fourth in the 89th minute, two Sivasspor supporters entered the pitch, delaying the game’s resumption.
As he circled the area where the Fiorentina players were finishing their goal celebration, one of the fans approached Bianco and punched him in the face.
The 20-year-old had bleeding from his nose and mouth and left the pitch immediately after the final whistle.
After the win, Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Montella told Sky Italia that Bianco suffered a broken nose in the incident.
He said: “Bianco getting hit is just shameful, he didn’t even see the guy coming and now he’s got his nose broken. It felt like a party, the crowd was pushing his team forward and that gesture ruins everything, even if it’s a victory for us.
Bianco shared an image of his broken nose on Instagram
“It’s terrible that a 20-year-old should be the victim of such violence on a wonderful evening and it’s a stain on what to most seemed like a very nice crowd. We have a little suffered from their initial vehemence.
Meanwhile, Bianco took to Instagram to show off his battle injury. He posted a picture of his bloody face next to the caption: “Not bad.”
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Fiorentina chief executive Joe Barone has contacted UEFA and ECA to seek clarification on their upcoming investigations.
The fan in question has reportedly been arrested and will be prosecuted in due course, Bianco has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the fan.
