The management of Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, the leader of the Iraqi football league, has threatened to withdraw from the competition if the football federation does not take a firm and decisive action against the fans of Duhok FC. This follows incidents where players were subjected to attempts at assault during the match between the two teams on Sunday. The game witnessed riots and violence that affected both teams when several northern fans invaded the pitch and engaged in physical confrontations with a number of Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya players, specifically former international goalkeeper Mohammed Hamid.
In a statement broadcast on the club's official website on Monday, the management expressed deep regret over the barbaric and savage attempts that almost endangered the lives of several of their players, indicating that they felt unsafe from the first minute to the last of the match.
The message questioned the safety of clubs playing in northern Iraq: "Is this acceptable? Iraqi clubs always face assaults from fans when playing in northern Iraq in Erbil or Duhok!" The statement continued to highlight a particularly alarming incident during the match, where a fan invaded the pitch brandishing a knife in an attempt to attack goalkeeper Mohammed Hamid.
