Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has joined Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola in condemning the supporters who misbehaved during Wednesday’s derby between the two teams.
Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic’s goal earned United a 1-0 win at the Etihad Stadium, but it was not enough to prevent the holders Manchester City from advancing to the EFL Cup final with a 3-2 aggregate victory over local neighbors.
However, despite the intensity and hype surrounding the fixture, the game was somewhat marred by events that took place in the stands as videos circulated on social media of City fans appearing to make airplane gestures in reference to the Munich air disaster suffered by the Manchester United players.
There were massive tempers that frayed at the full-time whistle and a number of seats were allegedly ripped out and thrown from the away end of the stadium due to the angry United faithful.
Spanish head coach Guardiola criticized the actions of those involved in gestures that took place only a day after United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward’s house was attacked. And Solskjaer has also expressed the same views as the City manager stating that the fans should be excited but also sane.
In a post-match interview after the game, the 46-year-old spoke to reporters and said, “Yeah, I’ve just got to stand behind Pep there, You know, football is a game, it’s a game we should all enjoy, spectators, the ones who watch it on telly, the ones who’re playing. I keep telling the players every time, go out with a big smile and enjoy yourselves. Work hard, yes, and fans should always try to enjoy the games. We want rivalry, but let’s keep it at a sane level. And let’s make sure we eradicate that. I stand behind Pep there and I think all of us do. We want to make this a nice game”
