THIS is the shocking moment notorious Ferencvaros ultras disguise themselves as stewards and launch a surprise brawl against their European rivals.
Ferencvaros, often dubbed Hungary‘s most feared football fans, kicked off a huge melee with AZ Alkmaar supporters in their tense Europa League clash on Thursday.
The Hungarian champions narrowly won the game 4-3 despite a late AZ Alkmaar surge in extra time when they scored twice.
But the action on the pitch was overshadowed by fighting up in the stands.
Footage shows dozens of Ferencvaros ultras secretly dressed up in high visibility security jackets making their way down the stairs in Budapest’s Groupama Arena.
Their sneaky plan saw them mix in with the actual security policing the away end to keep any trouble at bay between the two sets of supporters.
The large group of men managed to get as close as possible to the AZ Alkmaar fans before punches were thrown – sparking chaos in the stands.
Both sets of supporters then appear to start launching strikes at each other in the brutal brawl.
Onlooking fans from either side of the railings quickly noticed the fighting with drinks soon flying in from several angles at the fiery crowd.
The genuine security teams in place could be seen trying to break up the brawl as the melee continued on for some time.
Riot police equipped with protective visors and batons were soon forced to be drafted in as the fake security broke through into the stands.
The Europa League game between Ferencvaros and AZ Alkmaar was always tipped to be a highly intense affair due to the history of both sides.
Ferencvaros’ fans have long been considered one of the most violent teams in Central Europe over past altercations.
Governing body UEFA have sanctioned the club on several occasions in the past.
Hooligans linked to the club reportedly stabbed four Millwall fans in 2004 before a UEFA Cup match.
Uefa also charged the club over crowd trouble and racist abuse directed towards Millwall players.
Then in 2013, fans also fought with police after a friendly match against Leeds United.
AZ Alkmaar away days are also known to English fans as a potentially volatile trip.
In 2023, hooded AZ Alkmaar yobs smashed down barriers to storm their own main stand via two sets of stairs and attack West Ham supporters.
Several West Ham players, including sporting director Mark Noble, rushed to help protect them from the thugs – who were dressed in black and wearing balaclavas.
There were also clashes between West Ham and AZ fans ahead of kick-off, who again were masked as they caused mayhem on the streets of Alkmaar.
A local news outlet described it being a “grim atmosphere” before and during the match.
AZ’s hooliganism is said to stem from the club’s early days with a group known as the “Ben Side” supporters.
The name refers to where the group sits in the Jan van der Ben stand, which was named after a predecessor club’s chairman.
The group claims they “made their mark for the first time” during an away match at Feyenoord in 1977, according to an AZ supporter website.
There they clashed with opposition fans, throwing beer bottles and cans at players.
In another notorious meeting, the group clashed with Haarlem in June 1977.
Riots ensued over the game, with many supporters brining knives, and cops later made several arrests.
A 16-year-old was stabbed and around 28 people arrested during a particularly horrific altercation in March 1986 between AZ and PSV fans.
The teenager, a PSV fan who was not identified, was rushed to hospital.
BBC star and food critic Giles Coren has revealed he has been diagnosed with cancer.
The 55-year-old shared his news in his column for The Times.
Giles revealed his prostate cancer scare after doctors found a malignant tumour but said he won’t need treatment just yet.
His doctor reassured him that prostate cancer is a “slow cancer” that all men get if they live long enough but still sent him for an MRI scan.
The star first had a PSA test with a score of four, a level many doctors consider a warning sign, according to the American Cancer Society.
When the results came back inconclusive, he initially refused a biopsy.
But after his PSA levels climbed to six and then seven, he finally agreed to further tests at London’s Royal Free Hospital.
Now, doctors have found less than a millimetre of cancer in just three of 21 samples taken.
The tumour, while malignant, is not requiring treatment yet but will be closely monitored.
Giles’ late father was comic Alan Coren.
He appeared on the radio show The News Quiz while writing for numerous newspapers and magazines as a humourist.
Giles’ only sibling is Only Connect presenter Victoria Coren, the wife of Peep Show star David Mitchell.
It comes after Sir Chris Hoy spoke out about his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis which he received last year.
DAVE Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear turned back the clock as they reformed Nirvana for FireAid in Los Angeles.
The band — which split in 1994 after the death of lead singer Kurt Cobain — united with St Vincent, Kim Gordon, Joan Jett and Dave’s daughter Violet to play a repeat of the four-song set from their 2014 Rock And Roll Hall of Fame induction.
And it was hauntingly brilliant.
St Vincent, pictured right with the band, wowed fans with her stunning vocals on Breed at the packed out Intuit Dome in Los Angeles to raise money for the relief effort after the Californian wild fires.
Simultaneously, another show took place at the Kia Forum, with acts including Billie Eilish, Dr Dre, Pink, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sting and Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks on the star billings.
Olivia Rodrigo, Joni Mitchell, Slash, Katy Perry and Gwen Stefani’s band No Doubt also performed sets at Thursday’s concerts, which have so far raised over £50million.
Meanwhile, Lady Gaga put on a show to remember, debuting her new song, All I Need Is Time.
We caught up with Sir Rod Stewart backstage at the Intuit Dome, where he told us he was among the first to respond to calls from music boss Irving Azoff, who organised the massive fundraisers.
“I wish I was here under better circumstances,” Rod said.
“It’s the greatest privilege ever. I am lost for words.”
Sir Rod was over in the Caribbean celebrating his 80th birthday when the blazes engulfed so much of LA.
Penny Lancaster, who joined her megastar husband backstage, told us: “We were very fortunate to be together. To have all the kids around us, thinking about how many families were displaced and their memories from the past lost . . .
“Rod was the first to offer up his voice and everyone is here and hopefully that will bring everyone out in droves to give money to this important cause.”
Rod added: “It was important to be the first one on board. And I have come all the way from London.
“I don’t know what we are trying to raise, but I am hoping for a world record maybe in one night.”
Recalling the moment he heard about the fires, Rod said: “Everyone was calling me up, saying, ‘Is your house OK?’.”
Penny added: “We keep hearing about friends who were given five minutes to evacuate. What do you grab in five minutes?”
Ever the gent, Rod also helped out members of his team who lost belongings in the fires — including someone who worked with him on his autobiography.
Recalling his conversation with the man, Rod said: “He lost absolutely everything.
“He told me, ‘Rod, the most important thing I lost was two suits and my tuxedos’. I said, ‘Go and get yourself measured up, I’ll replace them’.”
Never change, Rod.
SIR ROD showed off some impressive bling as he arrived with wife Penny Lancaster and proudly wore his knighthood pendant around his neck.
The Maggie May singer was given the honour in 2016 for his services to charity and music.
Rod was knighted by Prince William and said afterwards: “We talked about music and he said: ‘It’s great that you’re still going’, and I said: ‘I have to – I’ve got eight children.’”
No rest for the wicked, eh, Rod?
BILLY CRYSTAL recalled losing his home in the fires as he opened the event at the Kia Forum.
He told the crowd: “These are the clothes I wore when I fled my house with my wife Janice on January 7.”
Recalling how he fell to his knees and sobbed when he returned to the place his home once stood, Billy said: “We’ll laugh again. Let’s show the world who we are: We’re Los Angeles, one city, one heart. L.A. Strong.”
Generous Bono and his U2 bandmates kicked off the donations by handing over $1million (£800,000) to the relief effort before the concerts started.
I REVEALED yesterday that the Rolling Stones had shelved plans for a huge European and UK tour this summer.
But while it’s rubbish news for us fans who wanted to see Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood playing live – it does mean they have time to get working on another album.
And former Stones guitarist Bill Wyman has admitted he’s already recorded a song for the record, which would be the follow up to their last No1 album Hackney Diamonds.
Bill said: “I did another track, I don’t know the title of it.
“But I played on another track, and I said, ‘What’s happening with that?’ They said, ‘We’re going to save it for the next album.’ It was a more bluesy track, more relaxed, more open.
“I just put what I thought was a pretty decent bass on it, because they didn’t have bass on it.
“It was more open, the kind of thing I prefer.”
Bill’s tune on Hackney Diamonds, Live By The Sword, also featured drumming by The Stones’s late bandmate Charlie Watts.
Bill added: “It was a pleasure to do it and it was lovely to do it with Charlie, who was my best friend.”
Insiders close to the band told me they hope to hit the road on our shores next year, if promoters can get the right deal done.
Here’s hoping they pull their fingers out.
KSI has got so many strings to his bow, he’s giving Robin Hood a run for his money.
But it turns out being a YouTuber, rapper, boxer, entrepreneur and BGT judge certainly pays off.
I’ve learned KSI earned £121,000 a week last year, taking assets to £20.8million after a knockout 2024.
KSI, who is due back in the boxing ring in March, also enjoys ten billion views over his three YouTube channels.
Later this year, he will stand in as a guest judge during the auditions for BGT.
Judging by these figures, he doesn’t need the cash.
THERE could be another celebrity romance on the horizon, after Yungblud and Anais Gallagher were spotted together during her birthday celebrations.
Yungblud, real name Dominic Harrison, was seen putting his arm around Anais in my exclusive picture – which showed them heading home after her birthday party in Primrose Hill, London.
Dating Anais isn’t for the faint-hearted though, given her dad is Oasis rocker Noel Gallagher.
Still, Dominic from my experience is one of the most charming blokes around – so I’m sure that he’d have Noel eating out the palm of his hand.
