Soccer: Two Steaua Bucharest players suffered serious injuries after being attacked by fans during their ill-tempered league match at promoted Petrolul Ploiesti on Sunday, which was abandoned just before halftime.
Defender George Galamaz, capped four times by Romania, sustained a serious facial injury after a fan invaded the pitch and punched him, initiating an ugly mass brawl in the latter stages of the first half of the mid-table clash.
"He (Galamaz) suffered a cheekbone fracture and he'll be recovering for six weeks," Steaua sporting director Narcis Raducan told local media, adding that the player also has hearing problems.
Reserve keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu suffered severe burns after he was hit by a firecracker, thrown from the stands, forcing the match to be abandoned after almost a half-hour delay.
The Ploiesti-based club's supporter ran onto the field after being angered by referee Robert Dumitru's decision to award Steaua a dubious penalty. The visitors led 1-0 at the time.
Steaua's Serbian defender Novak Martinovic and keeper Razvan Stanca were sent off for attacking the fan with Martinovic using a karate style kick while several other players also kicked the trouble-maker.
The match at the Ilie Oana stadium was resumed several minutes after the incidents with 1986 European Cup Winners Steaua going 2-0 ahead after Mihai Costea converted the penalty. However, soon after the goal, the referee had no choice but to abandon the game with Tatarusanu, who replaced Stanca, bending in pain on the pitch after the firecracker hit him in the back.
Flamboyant Steaua owner Gigi Becali blamed the referee for the troubles, saying the official "threw the match off balance".
The Romanian Football Federation could now award Steaua a 3-0 victory.
Steaua, playing in the Europa League, are ninth in the standings with 16 points from 11 games. Petrolul are 12th with 12 points.
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