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Fans force abandonment of Slavia Prague semi

The fans were demanding an end to unclear ownership and financial dealings at the oldest Czech club, who have suffered heavy debts and are on the brink of losing their first division licence for next season.

Some 1,500 fans went onto the pitch before the start of the cup semi-final against Olomouc, demanding an explanation from management on how it would overcome the debts.

"We want the truth. Long live Slavia," the fans chanted.

New agency CTK reported some of the fans clashed with riot police, damaged equipment at Slavia's new Prague stadium and tried to attack club director Miroslav Platil.

"We understand the fans to a certain extent, but the players are disappointed," Slavia spokesman Ondrej Zlamal said in a statement.

"They fought for a place in Europe (a spot in the Europa League), they have not seen pay for four months but still made it into the semi-finals. They believed they could win the cup but now they did not get the chance to get a better result than 0-3."