Sporting CP fans clash with riot police during club's Liga Nos title celebrations
Sporting CP saw their celebrations were cut short after fans clashed with riot police in the early hours of Wednesday causing a severe disturbance in the process. The Liga Nos club were crowned as the champions for the first time in nineteen years, with them still unbeaten in the league.
It was a historic day for Sporting Lisbon and their fans with the club claiming their first league title in nineteen years after striker Paulinho struck the only goal of the game in the 36th minute to end Porto and Benfica's stronghold on Portugal. It's the club's 19th league title with them eight points above rivals Porto and 12 over Benfica with just two games left in the season. But that taste of glory seems to have been too much for their fans with many jumping and hugging each other before things got ugly.
The celebrations were cut short owing to the hooliganism that ensued in the process with Sporting's open-top bus parade in severe danger after fans broke down metal barriers put in place to keep them from getting too close to the bus. This in turn prompted riot police to fire rubber bullets and use batons to disperse the crowd and to make things even worse, despite fans not allowed in the stadiums, many ditched social distancing norms to do the same.
Although the title celebrations ended with clashes, some younger fans amongst the huge gathering outside the stadium on Tuesday evening had an unforgettable night as they experienced their club winning the title for the first time.