Alaves Supporters Protest Against Night Games Amid Victory Over Sevilla

The La Liga match between Alaves and Sevilla on Friday night was marked by a notable protest from Alaves supporters against the scheduling of games at inconvenient late-night hours. Fans of the Basque club took a stand against the increasing trend of Friday and Monday night fixtures which they argue make it difficult for supporters to attend the matches.

A prominent organized fan group called for attendees to delay entering the stadium, resulting in empty stands during the start of the game in an effort to send a message through the televised broadcast. The protest was visually represented by a large banner, circulated on social media, which read, “Fans, Now or Never, No to Football During the Week.”

Alaves, which is set to play two of its first ten games this season on a Friday night, was documented to have participated in 12 of its 34 matches on such days last season, a statistic equal to Granada, as reported by the Spanish press. The shift towards more weeknight games is largely driven by the need to cater to TV audiences and address the growing congestion of fixtures.

Despite the initial absence, fans returned to their seats in time to witness Carlos Vicente score the opening goal for Alaves after just 15 minutes. The home team further secured its lead when Carlos Martin doubled the score by the 60th minute. Although Dodi Lukebakio managed to find the net for Sevilla seven minutes before full-time, it was not enough to alter the outcome, resulting in a 2-1 victory for Alaves.

With this win, Alaves climbed to fifth place in the La Liga standings while Sevilla found itself in 14th position. The protest against night-time matches continues to reflect broader sentiment among European football fans concerned with the commercialization of the sport and its impact on traditional matchgoing experiences.