Carl Recine/Reuters
A spectator ran onto the field and threw a punch at the Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish’s head during a soccer match at Birmingham City on Sunday.
The episode happened less than 10 minutes into the game in the second-tier Championship in Birmingham, England, when Grealish was in the Birmingham penalty area. The fan ran from behind Grealish and swung his right arm at the midfielder’s face, striking the side of his head.
“I was walking into position and then just felt a whack around the side of the face,” Grealish said. “Obviously there’s rivalry and stuff in football, but I don’t think there’s any place for that.