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Football

15th May 2018

Sporting Lisbon players attacked at training ground after failing to secure Champions League spot

The ugly part of the beautiful game

Ben Kiely

A group of ‘fans’ broke into Sporting Lisbon’s training facility and attacked its players, according to reports from Portugal

About 50 hooded men forced their way into Alcochete, Sporting Lisbon’s training complex, on Tuesday, O Jogo reports.

The group managed to gain access to the locker room, where they allegedly attacked several players including Bas Dost, Josip Misic and Rodrigo Battaglia. Photos of a sizeable cut Dost sustained on his forehead during the incident have begun doing the rounds online.

It is also being reported that the intruders covered their faces so that they couldn’t be identified and trashed one of the changing rooms.

https://twitter.com/Marinovpeixoto/status/996434495191515136

Sporting Lisbon missed out on Champions League football under agonising circumstances on the last day of the Primeira Liga season. After drawing 0-0 with Benfica on the penultimate day of the campaign, they needed to beat Maritimo to have a chance at qualification.

However, an 11th-hour howler from Rui Patricio saw the club suffer a shock 2-1 defeat. Arch-rivals took the final Champions League spot, finishing three points clear in second place. Following the defeat, the team were showered with boos.