Knife wielding Roma Ultras voted WAB Brighton Villains 2023-24
Italy has given us pizza, Moretti and Gino Di Campo. All great things, on that we can agree. But one huge black mark against the Italians is the frequent attacks English football fans suffer whenever visiting the country and Rome in particular. Brighton experienced it first-hand when knife wielding Roma Ultras stabbed two Albion fans before the Europa League round of 16 clash at the Stadio Olimpico.
Nobody should go to a game of football and end up with three stab wounds in their arse. Those deranged Roma Ultras who carried out the cowardly attack from behind have been voted WAB Brighton Villain of the Season 2023-24.
Which is about as far as their punishment will ever go, thanks to the predictably shit response from the Italian police.
The attack occurred in the Monti district of the Rome the night before the game. After realising they had been stabbed by Roma Ultras, the two Brighton fans took shelter in a local restaurant.
The restaurant owner looked after both fans and the emergency services arrived within minutes. The two supporters spent the next 13 hours in hospital being stitched up before miraculously making it to the Stadio Olimpico in time for kick off.
A heroes welcome awaited from the travelling Albion support – although by the time Brighton had capitulated to a 4-0 defeat two hours later, they probably wished they were still in hospital.
Were it not for Roma Ultras stabbing Brighton fans, it would be a Chelsea one-two in the voting for Villain of the Season.
Robert Sanchez and Moises Caicedo instead have to settle for second and third place respectively after being the latest individuals to force through transfers from Brighton to Stamford Bridge.
Sanchez began laying the groundwork for his move into villainy when throwing his toys out the pram after Roberto De Zerbi gave Jason Steele a chance as Albion number one.
Having refused to sit on the bench, Sanchez was always likely to be sold in the summer. His destination being Chelsea did little to appease and he then acted like a total bellend when Brighton lost 3-2 at Stamford Bridge in December.
Come the final whistle and Sanchez decided to try and goad the Albion support. He was quickly cut off by Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke, neither of whom was willing to take any of that sort of shit.
Sanchez lost his spot as Chelsea number one in the second half of the campaign to Dorde Petrovic. With the Blues rumoured to be interested in signing another goalkeeper, Sanchez could find himself out in the cold as number three going into next season. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bloke.
Caicedo did at least net the Albion a British transfer record fee of £115 million. But then he tried to claim joining Chelsea was a dream move, even though it was a well-known fact he had supported Manchester United all his life.
An even more bizarre episode unfolded in January when the Blues suffered a 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup.
Mauricio Pochettino attempted to excuse defeat at the Riverside, saying: “Caicedo was telling me his Brighton lost there last season. Many Premier League teams when they play there do lose.”
The Albion had actually thrashed Middlesbrough 5-1 in the third round of the FA Cup – a game in which Caicedo played the entire 90 minutes.
WeAreBrighton.com Villain of the Season 2023-24 – The Results
- Knife wielding Roma Ultras – 39.35%/li>
- Robert Sanchez – 20.34%
- Moises Caicedo – 18.25%
- Albion Medical Team – 15.01%
- Sam Jewell – 3.80%/li>
- Oliver Glasner – 3.23%
Previous Winners: VAR (2023), Season Ticket Sharing Scheme (2022), Lee Mason (2021), Matteo Guendouzi (2020), Ricardo Gold (2019), Crystal Palace Fans (2018), Alex Pritchard (2017), Mike Dean (2016), David Burke (2015), Nigel Adkins (2014), El Hadj Diouf (2013), Glenn Murray (2012). Nigel Adkins (2011), Dean Hammond (2010)
