PSV Eindhoven vow to find fans who treated Madrid beggars ‘like animals’

One of the Netherlands’ leading football clubs says that it will consider banning orders against fans who were filmed humiliating beggars in the centre of Madrid by throwing coins at them and goading the women into doing press-ups.

Fans of PSV Eindhoven were caught on camera taunting the women and asking them to get down on their knees in exchange for money.

The footage, which also showed fans engaging in anti-immigrant chants, sparked a backlash after it was published by the Spanish newspaper, El Pais.

PSV director Toon Gerbrands described the fans’ behaviour as “scandalous,” adding: “The actions of a few individuals are damaging the reputation of the whole group.”

A Twitter account for the club featured clips of Gerbrands, dubbed in English and Spanish, denouncing the fans’ behaviour and pledging to track them down.

“If we find them they will have some serious problems and we will consider banning orders or worse,” he said.

“We will do anything to find the people who did this.”

The footage was shot on Tuesday in Madrid’s Plaza Mayor by Pablo Vande Rusten and Ignacio Camacho, students at the UAM-EL Pais journalism school, ahead of PSV’s Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.

The Dutch fans also chanted “Don’t cross the border” at the women, according to El Pais.

At one point, a man was said to have approached the PSV group aangrily, telling them “You don’t do that,” before he was booed.

Miguel Angel Rendon, a high school teacher from Cadiz who witnessed the scene with his students, told El Pais: “They were treating them like animals, and the women were shoving and almost hitting one another as they competed for the coins while the Dutchmen laughed.

“They were giving them five-cent coins. And the worst of the worst was when they threw pieces of bread on the ground.”

Fans of PSV were last year filmed singing an antisemitic chant ahead of a Champions League clash against Manchester United.

In what was regarded by some as a reference to their Dutch rivals, Ajax, they chanted "Wie niet springt die is een Jood" ("if you don't jump, you're a Jew").

Separately, six PSV Eindhoven fans were reported to have been arrested on Tuesday night in Madrid, some for assault.

Guardian services