Cages, crushes and stabbings - is European away safety getting worse?

"Football fans across the country dream of following their club in Europe, seeing them take on the cream of the continent's crop alongside friends and family. But European away trips aren't all sunshine, sangria and singalongs - in recent years, there have been a number of significant security incidents in which fans' safety has been put at risk. The 2022 Champions League final became a "near mass fatality catastrophe" due to poor organisation by Uefa and French authorities,"

""There are definitely countries where the situation is deteriorating, like Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands," said Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which invites travelling fans to fill in a survey about their experience after each round of European fixtures. "There are also repeat offenders - countries and clubs where things are not improving and they have demonstrated that they are not capable of hosting games in acceptable conditions. "France, Spain, Portugal and Italy are major tourist destinations that are very used to hosting people from all over the world, but clearly treat football fans completely differently - like a threat or"

Fans frequently travel to follow their clubs in European competition, but away trips have increasingly involved serious safety and security problems. The 2022 Champions League final became a "near mass fatality catastrophe" due to poor organisation by Uefa and French authorities. Visiting supporters have since criticised policing and security at high-profile matches in Istanbul, Lyon and Marseille. Some fans were barred from Champions League away matches amid "extremely worrying" trends. Reported problems include overly aggressive policing, crushing from poorly managed entry and exit, lack of toilet access, invasive body searches and confiscation of items such as power banks and medications. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) reports deterioration in some countries, identifies repeat offenders and notes that certain major tourist destinations treat football fans differently, often as a security threat.

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