Tottenham vs. Partizan Belgrade Pitch Invaders Charged After Europa League Stunt

Three pitch invaders were arrested and later charged after they forced the suspension of Tottenham's Europa League tie with Partizan Belgrade.

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Monday, Dec. 1

Police Confirm Charges

Internet pranksters Nathaniel Thompson, Helder Gomes, and Daniel Jarvis all face action following their Nov. 27 stunt, and Metropolitan Police tweeted on Monday:

Thursday, Nov. 27

Pitch Invaders Arrested

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed three pitch invaders were arrested after farcical scenes during the north London side's Europa League win over Partizan Belgrade.

Thursday's match was temporarily abandoned shortly before half-time after the third pitch invader evaded stewards and made his way on to the pitch.

This followed an initial breach with 21 minutes played and a second just five minutes later, leaving Spurs facing a UEFA charge, reported by Henry Winter of The Telegraph, who confirmed Roberto Soldado and Mousa Dembele wouldn't be punished for halting the runners:

"Three pitch invaders at the match have been arrested and are assisting police with their enquiries," confirmed the club, per Sam Cunningham of the Daily Mail. "We apologise to fans for the disruptions caused by this totally unacceptable behaviour."

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Interestingly, Cunningham suggested the club have "severed links" with sponsor BassBuds, a company which had its logo on all three shirts of the pitch invaders. Cunningham reported "all three match tickets" were bought by the same individual, while a fourth run on to the pitch was also planned.

Just 24 hours previously, UEFA confirmed a charge against Basel in similar circumstances.

A number of supporters approached Real Madrid players during the Spanish side's trip to St. Jakob-Park in a situation which will now be dealt with by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body on Dec. 11, as reported by Goal.com.

It is extremely likely Spurs' case will be discussed in the same hearing. A "heavy fine" is the most likely punishment, as reported by Cunningham.

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BassBuds denied it's involved, per the Daily Mail's article.

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino was irritated by the events which slowed play. He admitted fearing his players could be in danger, noted by Cunningham:

"

I’m very disappointed with what happened in the first half. The club is aware of the situation. You never know what can happen on the pitch, the behaviour of these people was only to go in and show I don’t know what. I’m very disappointed, for all the club’s supporters that love football, it’s a very strange situation.

"

One pitch invader even had time to take a selfie photo with players, highlighted by ITV News:

Partizan boss Marko Nikolic doesn't believe the stoppage made a difference to the result, saying, "Maybe that was a little bit disturbing for both sides, for us definitely, but I don’t think it was decisive," per Cunningham.

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Benjamin Stambouli's goal won the match shortly after half-time. Spurs hit the woodwork twice in a match which saw both sides create openings. The English side are guaranteed to finish at least second in Group C and can now plan for the knockout stages, while four consecutive losses sees Partizan rooted to the bottom of the table with one match remaining.