Numerous fan complaints were reported in the run-up to the Champions League games in Dortmund and Stuttgart. UEFA now wants to review both cases.
The European Football Union (UEFA) is investigating a complaint from Borussia Dortmund regarding excessive entry controls before the Champions League game at Dinamo Zagreb. “UEFA is in contact with the clubs,” the continental association said in a statement SID on Thursday with. In the interest of BVB fans, the organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) will also be involved to describe the experiences from Croatia.
BVB itself drew attention to grievances in a tweet on Wednesday evening. The association received “numerous complaints about cross-border actions by the security service as part of the identity checks during the entry phase.” “We condemn this form of controls and are in contact with UEFA and Dinamo Zagreb to report and deal with the incidents.” Other affected fans should contact the fan representatives.
Tents were set up several hundred meters in front of the away block of the Maksimir Stadium, where, according to eyewitnesses, fans sometimes even had to undress. Around 2,500 Dortmund supporters were there and BVB won 3-0.
Champions League Termine 2025: Road to Munich
- League phase: September 17, 2024 – January 29, 2025 (1st – 8th matchday)
- Play-offs draw for the knockout phase: January 31, 2025
- K.-o.-Round-Play-offs: 11./12. February & 18/19 February 2025
- Draw for round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals: February 21, 2025
- Round of 16: 4th/5th & 11th/12th March 2025
- Quarterfinals: 8th/9th & 15th/16th April 2025
- Semi-finals: 29th/30th April & 6th/7th May 2025
- Final: May 31, 2025 in the Allianz Arena, Munich
VfB fans experience something similar at the border
Similar incidents were reported by VfB Stuttgart fans just a few hours earlier. A number of VfB fans had canceled their trip to the Champions League game in Belgrade because there were said to be excessive controls at the border.
Stuttgart reacted with outrage to the incidents surrounding the arrival of its fans to the Champions League game at Red Star Belgrade. “Such conditions are unacceptable,” Stuttgart CEO Alexander Wehrle was quoted as saying in a statement from the club: “We want to experience football in a permissive Europe. Instead, we are increasingly faced with disproportionate measures against fans, prejudice, harassment and now apparently even confronted with violence and humiliation.”
Protest at UEFA is conceivable
Some of the supporters turned back on the way to the away game at the border with Serbia on Wednesday. “After many reports from VfB fans,” there were “disproportionate and humanly degrading” controls, the runner-up said. There were also reports of the use of physical violence against the fans. The fans then decided not to travel, meaning ten buses with around 500 supporters were affected. In addition, there were also “several violent attacks on VfB fans” in downtown Belgrade.
The club announced that it would lodge a protest with UEFA if suspicions of disproportionate measures and tolerance of violence were confirmed. UEFA has already initiated an investigation into the incidents. “Politicians, UEFA and the clubs must take their responsibility seriously so that events like yesterday in Belgrade are not dealt with solely with well-intentioned communication campaigns and lip service,” said Wehrle.
SID
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