DEL SLAMS CYPRIOTS
From Back Page for a fourth successive season as they again missed out on a play-off place.
But the defeat at the AEK Arena in Larnaca was overshadowed by events off the park with referee Stephan Klossner threatening to abandon the game after home supporters threw flares on to the pitch.
The Swiss whistler also halted play early in the second half of the game – where goals from Andre Schembri and Emilio Zelaya earned Apollon a 3-2 aggregate win – to let smoke clear.
Aberdeen last night issued a statement on their website following trouble among their 700 travelling fans – but McInnes blamed Apollon supporters and stewards.
He said: “I expected what was going on and it wasn’t any real surprise but when you hear the treatment our supporters got at the end that’s when it starts to stick in your throat a wee bit.
“You expect it to be passionate and noisy but when flares are getting thrown at your goalkeeper and your fans getting treated the way they were treated, it’s quite unfair on everybody.
“I heard the stewards were very heavy-handed, going in with tear gas and being very aggressive.
“When supporters behind the dugout are spitting at our players, myself and the staff, that is when stewards need to be more visible.
“I heard the referee say to the fourth official if one more flare came onto the pitch he was abandoning the game.
“It was too stop-start for me at that minute and they were going down at every turn. The smoke was coming on just as we were beginning to get a wee bit of momentum.”
The Aberdeen statement read: “The club can confirm it has commenced dialogue with the stadium operators, Apollon Limassol and the authorities.
“As part of this the club has requested that CCTV footage is interrogated in order to assist matters.”
Off-field matters aside McInnes offered no excuses for the defeat. Leading 2-1 from the first leg, he insists Aberdeen didn’t do enough and only have themselves to blame.
He said: “I’m not going to bleat about being unlucky. In cup football you get what you deserve.
“Apollon dealt with the first-half scenario better and over the two games we had more dominance in spells but ultimately they have found a way to win.
“Everyone could see their playacting. The ref added six minutes but there could have been more given the stops for the flares and every time their physio was on.
“But I can’t dress it up any other way.
“When you see the fans applaud the players at the end it’s quite heartbreaking.”