Belgian football fan receives prison sentence for throwing firework into away end

The incident occurred on December 5 last year during a derby clash between Beerschot and Royal Antwerp when the masked individual ran on the pitch and threw a firework into the away section.

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A number of fans captured the disturbing moment, with sections of the home support at the Olympisch Stadion cheering the act before the offender was apprehended by stewards.

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Now it's been confirmed the 28-year-old fan has received a two-year prison sentence, 10 months of which is suspended, while he's been ordered to pay £7019 in compensation.

De Telegraaf reports that the Beershot fan had already been given a five-year stadium ban and a £1052 fine for the act. Previously in 2017 he was sentenced to 100 hours of community service for assaulting an Antwerp fan.

After the initial incident last year, he was immediately arrested and later charged with attempted murder and arson, seeing the game stopped while the aftermath was dealt with.

Beerschot were later ordered to play their following two home matches without spectators, and were later relegated from the top flight.

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The team had also hit the news as recently as last weekend when alleged racist chanting was condemned by the club.

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"Such chants not only damage the image of the club, but also cause division between players and supporters," Beerschot said in a statement.

In the December 5 clash, Antwerp went on to win the fixture 1-0 thanks to Belgium international and former Roma and Inter Milan star Radja Nainggolan.

The midfielder now features alongside former Tottenham man Toby Alderweireld, and is managed by Mark van Bommel.