• Forward Bas Dost and manager, Jorge Jesus, reportedly assaulted • Around 50 people with faces covered forced their way into training

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A group of around 50 people forced their way into Sporting Lisbon’s training centre on Tuesday and assaulted players and staff. The

Portuguese television channel RTP said that around 50 intruders, who had covered their faces to avoid being identified, interrupted team practice and assaulted players and staff. They also caused damage to a changing room.

The club confirmed the incident, issuing a statement condemning “acts of vandalism and the attacks on [our] athletes, coaches and professional staff”.

The Dutch forward Bas Dost, who has scored 34 goals for the club this season, reportedly suffered cuts to his head in the attack. Jorge Jesus, the team’s head coach, goalkeeper Rui Patrício and midfielder William Carvalho were also targeted, according to reports from the newspaper O Jogo.

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“Sporting is not this, Sporting cannot be this,” the club statement added. “We will take all steps to establish responsibility for what has happened and we demand the punishment of those who have acted in this absolutely regrettable manner.”

The Portuguese league also condemned “the violent acts [that] the players and coaching staff of Sporting were subject to today. The perpetrators of these incidents are not fans of football. They are criminals.”

Sporting missed out on a Champions League place last weekend after Patrício’s late error led to a 2-1 defeat at Maritimo, allowing their bitter rivals Benfica to leapfrog them into second place.

Tuesday’s events at the Alcochete training centre 20km south of Lisbon mark a new low in a turbulent season. Last month the club president Bruno de Carvalho suspended 19 first-team players after a row on social media.

Sporting are preparing to play the Portuguese Cup final against Aves on Sunday.