Portsmouth manager apologises to Cardiff over fan altercation

Portsmouth beat Cardiff City 2-0 in a Championship fixture that was overshadowed by crowd trouble involving home supporters at Fratton Park. In the 72nd minute, Cardiff defender Krystian Bielik went to collect the ball near the stands and ended up in a physical altercation with a spectator.

Cardiff head coach Brian Barry-Murphy said afterwards that Bielik had been slapped in the face during the incident. Footage shared on social media appeared to show the Poland international grabbing a young fan around the upper body.

Shortly after, a separate incident saw another fan throw a ball that struck Cardiff defender Perry Ng on the head. Both fans involved in the two incidents were ejected from the ground.

Manager's response

Speaking after the match, Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho explained that, according to the referee, a brief scuffle broke out as Bielik went to retrieve the ball, during which a supporter struck him. Mousinho said he had checked on the player and found him to be fine, but stressed that this did not excuse what happened, calling it unacceptable behaviour.

Mousinho noted that Portsmouth has worked to create a difficult atmosphere for visiting teams at Fratton Park in recent seasons, acknowledging that tensions can occasionally boil over but insisting they should not reach this point. He apologised to Cardiff and their players, and said the club would work to prevent similar incidents in future.