NOS Football•today, 3:33 PM
No supporters of the Turkish club are welcome at the Europa League match between FC Twente and Besiktas on January 30. This was decided by the mayor of Enschede, Roelof Bleker.
The police designated Twente-Besiktas as a “high-risk” match. There are fears of riots because things have gone wrong before around the Turkish club’s European matches.
“The presence of supporter groups is limited in order to guarantee safety and public order. Some of the supporters do not shy away from confrontation with the police,” a press release from the municipality reads.
The decision also plays a role in the fact that hundreds of police officers cannot be deployed elsewhere for two days.
Besiktas has a following spread across various European countries. This makes it difficult to track the movements of supporter groups.
In addition, according to the municipality, it is risky that supporters of the Turkish club can travel freely to Enschede. “Besiktas has a support base spread across various European countries. This makes it difficult to follow the movements of supporter groups. Separating supporter groups before, during and after the match is therefore a complex operation.”
Decision does not stand alone
It is not the first time that a municipality has made such a decision. This has been happening regularly lately. Earlier, Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema decided that Lazio away fans were not welcome in Amsterdam for last night’s Europa League match.
In addition, PSV fans were not welcome at the Champions League match in Paris against Paris Saint-Germain.
