Epic brawl erupts as Maccabi Haifa and Raków players clash ahead of Conference League match

Qualifying matches in European competitions are always charged with tension, but it seems this is the first time players have sparked a brawl not even on matchday itself.

Details: Yesterday, August 13, Polish side Raków held their pre-match training session ahead of the second leg of the Conference League third qualifying round at the stadium in Debrecen, Hungary, where Maccabi Haifa are hosting their European rivals.

For reasons unknown, players from the Israeli team remained on the pitch as their opponents began their session. According to the Polish club, one of Maccabi's players initiated a confrontation, first verbally and then physically attacking Raków players, which quickly escalated into a scuffle.

Representatives of the Polish vice-champions reported the incident to the UEFA delegate, and Maccabi could now face sanctions for violating pre-match procedures.

Reminder: In the first leg, played in Częstochowa, Maccabi clinched a narrow 1-0 victory. The return fixture kicks off on August 14 at 20:00 Central European Time. You may check out the expert predictions for the clash from Dailysports.