Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira kicked an Everton supporter to the ground after being goaded during the pitch invasion at Goodison Park on Thursday.
Everton fans stormed the pitch after the full-time as Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s late goal sealed a 3-2 win over Palace to ensure that they are safe from relegation ahead of the last day of the Premier League season on Sunday.
Palace threw away a two-goal lead after Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew had put the London side in front in the first half.
But Frank Lampard’s side produced an outstanding comeback in the second half as goals from Michael Keane and Richarlison pulled the hosts level before Calvert-Lewin scored the winning goal with five minutes left.
With thousands of Everton supporters flooding onto the pitch in celebration after the full-time whistle, Vieira lost his cool with one fan who repeatedly appeared to make a rude gesture in front of his face as he walked towards the dressing room.
Vieira initially ignored him but then turned around and grabbed him before aiming a kick to the supporter’s leg which knocked him to the ground.
Video footage which was posted on social media shows the supporter hurling expletives at Vieira before the Palace head coach confronted him.
Patrick Vieira reacting to an Everton fan pic.twitter.com/RIltVlUFJR
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Other Everton fans then blocked off the supporter and attempted to usher Vieira away from the incident and back towards the dressing room. When asked about it, Vieira said: ‘I do not have anything to say about that.’
When told about Vieira’s clash with the supporter, Lampard said: ‘I feel for Patrick. ‘I would have said come in [to the tunnel] with us, he was running across the pitch of 80 yards.
‘It was the pure elation of fans that want to stay in the Premier League. Are we going to handcuff them to the seats when we are 2-0 down and come back to win 3-2?’
Former Premier League striker Dion Dublin, who was working as a pundit for Sky Sports for the game, said: ‘We don’t want to see it at all. ‘We know how overjoyed the Everton fans are but you can’t be doing that – pushing managers, pushing players, shouting at players in their face.
‘We know it’s the minority, we know it’s only one or two who spoil it for everyone else but having fans on the pitch is not the way forward.
‘We have to stop letting fans get on the pitch, it’s too dangerous.’
