Four West Ham stars may face Uefa bans

Declan Rice, Said Benrahma, Flynn Downes and Michail Antonio could all face bans from Uefa competition after jumping into the stands to protect the families from the Alkmaar ultras.

They may well  have to convince Uefa these were exceptional circumstances if they are to escape punishment.

The  players who faced up to the AZ Alkmaar thugs look likely to face a Uefa charge according to The Telegraph, although the governing body now under pressure over timing.

Silence from Uefa over the issue on Friday suggests that officials may allow the process to run past the date of the Europa Conference League final on June 7, when West Ham play Fiorentina at the Fortuna Arena in Prague.

The report says it is highly unlikely that Uefa would want the players to be banned for the final, but officials will also feel that they have to follow the process. AZ Alkmaar will be charged for the behaviour of their supporters and has already apologised to West Ham for the shocking incident.

The common wisdom is, however, that the players were left with no choice but to intervene when the  ultras swarmed into the section where players’ families and friends were seated.

The events after the game are likely to be included in the official report, with the possibility of a charge under article 15 covering misconduct of players and officials, which includes the provocation of supporters.