Update: The fan who entered the pitch and punched Jack Grealish has pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced Monday to 14 weeks in jail.
An English Championship soccer match between Aston Villa and Birmingham City was delayed early on when a fan ran onto the pitch and punched Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish.
The incident happened just 10 minutes into Sunday’s game. Grealish was punched in the back of the head and collapsed to the ground, but later would be OK.
Police told reporters the fan had been arrested, according to ESPN.
The shocking moment Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish was attacked by a Birmingham fan 😳 pic.twitter.com/1SxaoaBcJh
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 10, 2019
“I was unaware [of the fan] at the time,” Grealish said later. “We had a throw-in or a corner and I was walking into position, and I just felt a whack around the side of the face. Obviously there is rivalry in football, but I don’t think there is any place for that.”
The kicker? Grealish scored the game’s only goal in the 66th minute and won it for Aston Villa, 1-0.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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