Hannibal told not to 'antagonise' crowd at Elland Road
For a few weeks now, Burnley had made it clear Hannibal Mejbri was on the verge of his return from a hamstring injury. This season the midfielder received a four-match ban and was given a £15,000 fine after admitting to spitting at Leeds supporters during Burnley's 2-0 victory at Turf Moor back in October. Being the last name on the teamsheet, it was a long build-up to the inevitable boos which followed "Hannibal" being read out by the stadium announcer.
[Getty Images] For a few weeks now, Burnley had made it clear Hannibal Mejbri was on the verge of his return from a hamstring injury. I can't lie, after receiving the team news at Elland Road, I questioned the wisdom of whether his first game back should have been away at Leeds United. This season the midfielder received a four-match ban and was given a £15,000 fine after admitting to spitting at Leeds supporters during Burnley's 2-0 victory at Turf Moor back in October.
The warmth of 'reception' was as you would expect. Being the last name on the teamsheet, it was a long build-up to the inevitable boos which followed "Hannibal" being read out by the stadium announcer. A few behind the dugouts let their feelings be known as the 23-year-old made his way past to the visitors bench prior to kick-off.
Midway through the first half, there was the sight of Hannibal receiving what appeared to be a one-man security escort as he made his way back to the tunnel. Hannibal's eventual introduction came in the 54th minute. Despite still being soaked in the jubilation of Noah Okafor's goal, the vibes quickly changed as the Tunisian international's run onto the field was sound-tracked by a cacophony of jeers.
There was no let-up, his every touch was met by boos. In my eyes, there was more than one attempt from Leeds players to 'leave one on' the Burnley substitute. The pantomime bingo card-esque scenes were completed by loud cheers which greeted, firstly, Ethan Amadu's booking following a shoulder-high pull back on Hannibal, before Hannibal himself when he was cautioned for a late challenge on Brenden Aaronson.