
Picture Credit: Twitter
Football is one of the most loved and followed sports in the world, but not just because of players but also the manner in which the game is welcomed by the spectators and their involvement while watching the game. Players take it very seriously and expect the crowd's involvement in the game and cheer for them, but at times the sight of the field gets ugly when players face heat from the crowd and find themselves in a difficult situation as to how to react.
However, some players take such criticism from the crowd as motivation and their reaction becomes a prime example of sportsmanship behavior. Something similar happened on Saturday, during the match between Millwall and Crystal Palace in The FA Cup. While taking a corner, Michael Olise was hit on the head by a bottle thrown from the stands. The player then proceeded to kick the bottle off the pitch and signaled to Millwall fans to keep it coming. The video instantly went viral on social media, and Olise's reaction was widely appreciated and lauded for showing some sportsmanship amidst the tense game.
Watch the viral video here:
Olise hit on the head by a bottle, then giving it to the Scumwall fans. pic.twitter.com/d5sH1rWkkC
— Sunaina Gosh (@Sunainagosh7) January 9, 2022
Notably, Olise was awarded Man of the Match for his brilliant display as he pulled Palace back in the game and saw the visitors emerge victorious with 2-1 scoreline, to book their spot in the 4th round. Earlier, Benik Afobe put the hosts in the lead at The Den but then Olise leveled matters with a glorious curling effort into the far corner just after half-time. He then put the visitors in the driving seat with a brilliant assist, whipping in a delicious cross from the right for Jean-Philippe Mateta to head home.
The game turned really intense as Millwall fans booed Palace players taking the knee, a flare was thrown onto the pitch and there were homophobic chants aimed at on-loan Chelsea player Conor Gallagher. Both managers Gary Rowett and Patrick Vieira reportedly condemned the incidents, while Millwall issued a statement confirming they would launch an investigation.
"Millwall Football Club has a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of discrimination and will investigate any incident of alleged abuse accordingly. As is club policy, any individual found guilty of discriminatory abuse is issued with an immediate lifetime ban," a club spokesperson said.