Fans of Dutch football giants PSV Eindhoven have been accused of acting like hooligans after they were caught humiliating female beggars in Madrid. The fans were filmed (video below) throwing money and rubbish at the group of women, and even burning cash notes in front of their faces.
Dutch supporters were sitting and drinking in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid when they were first approached by the group of women, with cups in their hands. Onlookers were shocked when the supporters threw coins at them while cheering, as the beggars fell to their knees to pick them up. Some fans were even throwing bits of bread, while reportedly shouting dont cross the border and other xenophobic remarks.
Laughing as the desperate women scrambled on the floor for coins hurled in their direction, fans also forced them to dance and do push-ups in exchange for money. The incident took place shortly before PSV Eindhoven faced Atletico Madrid in a last-16 Champions League clash on Tuesday (15 March).
Miguel Angel Rendon, a secondary school teacher who witnessed the scene with students, told El Pais: They treated them like animals, and women jostled each other for the coins while the Dutch were laughing. They threw five-cent coins. The last straw was when they threw chunks of bread.
The altercation ended when the police took the group of female beggars away from the square as the fans carried on cheering and drinking. The manager of PSV Eindhoven, Toon Gerbrands, described the behaviour as disgusting.
PSV lost to Atlético 7-8 on penalties after the match ended in a 0-0 draw.
