Melbourne Victory of Australia was threatened with a 10-point deduction and fined a league-record $550,000 (US$380,000) on Tuesday for a violent field invasion that wounded a goalie.
The punishment is related to a derby game between Melbourne City and Victory that was called off last month due to terrible events involving on-field football supporters.
Tom Glover, the goalkeeper for City, was hit in the face with a metal bucket full of sand by a Victory fan, who also suffered a concussion. Additionally harmed were a television cameraman and the referee.
When major fan misconduct occurred, Football Australia replied with the punishment and suspended points deduction, which can be applied until the end of the 2025–26 season.
James Johnson, the chief executive of the regulatory body, called the events as the worst ever seen in the nation for the sport.
The Melbourne Victory Football Club, according to Football Australia, “has committed a major infringement of our rules and regulations via the unacceptable behaviour of numerous persons,” he stated.
“The sanctions we have issued against Melbourne Victory are the heaviest in the A-League era. These sanctions are reflective of our desire to remove this behaviour, and those that perpetuate it, from our game.
“They also form part of a broader response to this incident which has seen 17 bans issued against individuals to date, including three lifetime bans,” he added.
A few seats at Melbourne’s AAMI Park will be off-limits for the remainder of the current campaign, and Victory supporters won’t have reserved seats when the team plays away.
