Cardiff's Bielik claims death threats over fan clash
Cardiff defender Krystian Bielik claims his family received death threats amid the controversy that surrounded his altercation with a Portsmouth fan.
Cardiff City defender Krystian Bielik claimed his family received death threats amid the controversy that surrounded his altercation with a Portsmouth fan.
Bielik was banned for two games and fined £10,000 for the incident during the clubs' Championship meeting at Fratton Park last month.
The 28-year-old Poland international admitted a charge of misconduct after he was deemed to have grabbed the young fan by the shoulder.
Bielek made contact with the fan having gone to retrieve the ball for a throw-in during the second half of Cardiff's 2-1 defeat.
A Hampshire Police investigation into the flashpoint concluded that no further action was needed, with Bielik being issued a Community Resolution Order.
He also sent a written apology to the fan before he was charged by the FA.
Bielik's disciplinary case was heard by an independent regulatory commission last week, with full written reasons for the verdict revealing the defender's claim that his family had been subjected to death threats.
The assertion formed part of Bielik's plea for mitigation, and was described by the commission as "regrettable and to be deplored" but said it did not impact on the sanction "particularly as no supporting evidence had been provided".
Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy also provided support, describing the 11-time Poland international as a "consummate professional".
In his own statement, Bielik described how he had expected the ball to be handed to him by the fan and claimed "[I] placed my hand on his shoulder and pushed away as I moved back", before adding his actions were caused partly by frustration and also by momentum.
That was disputed by the FA, who said the proximity of the contact to the neck risked inflaming the crowd, something the commission agreed with, adding the incident "clearly created the potential for a mass confrontation and could have led to a dangerous situation".
Bielik admitted his regret and argued that he did not retaliate despite being struck in the face during the incident. The commission said this was commendable but "could not lessen his culpability for his initial action", although they accepted other mitigating factors in reducing the ban from the three-game starting point.
