Emotions ran high on Tuesday, but some fans went overboard. © Rosario Multari

Monkey noises at Bolzano game: The league is investigating

HC Bozen celebrated an exhilarating home win in the fourth semi-final against Salzburg on Tuesday evening. However, there were worrying scenes in the stands in the final seconds.

March 27, 2024

From: sportsnews

It was a heated final phase that took place on Tuesday in the Sparkasse Arena. Bolzano led 3-2, Salzburg pushed for the equalizer and suddenly emotions erupted on the ice. Several scuffles caused tempers to flare up and the mood in the Bolzano cauldron with more than 5.000 fans was boiling. However, individual HCB supporters went completely overboard.

In the stadium, isolated monkey noises could be heard, which mainly came from the seating stands. They were directed at Salzburg's striker Ali Wukovits, who got into an argument with Bozen's Brad McClure in this scene. According to various reports, the calls from players, referees and supervisors on the ice were not heard.

Investigations initiated

On Wednesday afternoon, the league commented on the incident and announced that it had opened an investigation. The affected clubs, match officials, local league representatives and the ICE Situation Room had to issue a statement on Wednesday. The ICE Rights Commission will then make a judgment.

“Regardless of the incident under review, it is emphasized that the league categorically rejects any form of xenophobia and discrimination,” the ICE Hockey League wrote in a press release.