West Ham fan who fell out of minibus in critical condition (Updated)

The condition of the 38-year-old West Ham fan, who fell out of a moving vehicle along the Paphos-Limassol highway on Tuesday, remains critical.

Police spokesperson Christos Andreou confirmed that he sustained serious head injuries after having fallen from a minibus. It is understood that the man was drunk and had opened the window of the vehicle and had his body outside. The man is currently being treated at the Nicosia general hospital, after he was initially taken to the Limassol general hospital.

The driver of the minibus, a 33-year-old UK national, has also been arrested for driving under the influence of drugs after he underwent a narcotest following the crash.

He appeared in front of the Paphos district court on Wednesday and was remanded until Friday. Meanwhile, the Paphos traffic police are continuing their investigation.

According to a police statement, the driver also failed to ensure the safety of all passengers on the minibus, consisting of a group of six men aged 30-41. The victim was also found to be in possession of a small amount of cocaine, weighing one and a half grammes.

The incident occurred near the Petra tou Romiou site. Aside from the injured man and the driver, another four people were inside of the vehicle.

West Ham is set to face Aek in Larnaca on Thursday evening for the first leg of the Conference League round of 16.

Speaking at Wednesday’s pre-match press conference, West Ham manager David Moyes said he expects Aek to be a tough opponent.

“I’m expecting an incredibly tough game from a side who have good momentum in their league,” he said.

“They have an experienced team, and a team who have played quite a lot in Europe.”

The West Ham manager added he fancies his team’s chances of reaching the next Europe League stage.

“We’re really looking forward to it. It’s a big opportunity and great that we’re at this stage of the competition.

“To reach a quarter-final two years in a row would be huge. We’re looking forward to the game and not for a minute underestimating it, because we know we’ve got a tough game on our hands.”