Austria midfielder Marcel Sabitzer was left lying on the ground after being hit in the face by a foreign object, suspected to be a coin, during their surprise 2-1 defeat to Türkiye in the round of 16 of EURO 2024.

Sabitzer was hit in the head with a foreign object.

Defeat to Turkey in Leipzig was a huge disappointment for Austria, who failed to reach the quarter-finals of the European Championship for the first time. For Sabitzer, things were made worse when he was repeatedly hit by objects throughout the match. The most serious incident came when a small object hit the midfielder in the face as he was preparing to take a corner kick, causing him to collapse to the ground.

Sabitzer had a coin thrown at his face while preparing to take a corner kick.

Several Turkish players ran towards Sabitzer to check on the situation and ask the crowd to stop their excessive behavior. During the second half, security personnel had to continuously clean up plastic cups thrown onto the pitch by Turkish fans.

Sabitzer held his head in pain.

This behavior could result in heavy fines for the Turkish Football Federation.

This is just one of many hooligan-related incidents at this year’s EURO. UEFA has issued nearly £1m in total fines for fan violence.

Turkish fans were also involved in a brawl with Georgia fans before a group stage match in Dortmund. The Scottish Football Association was also fined £7,640 for fans throwing objects onto the pitch during previous matches.

Türkiye will face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals on Saturday. Two goals from defender Merih Demiral and a brilliant save from goalkeeper Mert Gunok helped Vincenzo Montella’s side reach their first major quarter-final in 16 years. Demiral’s first goal after just one minute of play was also the fastest in the history of the EURO round of 16.