Spain captain Alvaro Morata left the pitch after his team’s victory over France in the Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday after being hit by a security guard chasing a fan who was running onto the pitch.
Video taken from inside the stadium showed supporters in light blue jerseys running towards the jubilant Spain players and attempting to take selfies before security intercepted the unruly group.
However, one of the security guards slipped and hit Morata’s leg.
The 31-year-old Morata was immediately seen clutching his right leg, limping and grimacing in obvious pain.
The guard noticed Morata was in distress and leaned over to check on him.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told reporters after the match that he hoped the former Chelsea striker would be fit in time for Sunday’s final against the winner of England versus the Netherlands.
De la Fuente added that the club would “wait until tomorrow” to find out more about Morata’s condition. The Guardian reported.
“It happened in the middle of the celebrations so I don’t think it was anything but I think he’s OK,” the Spain coach said.
Spain midfielder Rodri added that Morata had been in pain in the dressing room after the match, but still felt the striker was “fine.” The Athletic reported..
UEFA’s security response has come under fire after a string of pitch-intruders caused chaos at this year’s Euros, including when seven fans ran onto the pitch during Portugal’s win over Turkey.
During Tuesday’s match, fans were stopped from rushing onto the field to take a selfie with France superstar Kylian Mbappe.
The potentially tough situation for Morata comes after he faced heavy criticism from the Spanish media, with El Confidencial newspaper publishing a story with the headline “Morata, captain who not only underperforms at the Euros but also embarrasses Spain.” The Daily Mail reported..
The article describes Morata as “not a representative Spain player” and a “crybaby.”
Morata’s wife, Alice Campello, hit back in a social media post ahead of Tuesday’s victory over France, saying the article was only creating “more hatred”.
“What I consider poor journalism is to study and write a headline like this when Spain are one day away from the semi-final,” she wrote on her Instagram Story.
“It’s astonishing that instead of encouraging a player you would go to such lengths to bring him down…Do you really think that someone who feels no one believes in him can give his best for his country? What do you hope to achieve with this headline? Do you want to further incite hatred against an individual?”
