There will be no away fans in attendance at Anfield when Liverpool play Lens in the Champions League this season, with UEFA taking action against the French club.
Their 3-0 defeat away to Club Brugge last week was marred by a minority of spectators in the away section lighting flares and throwing some of them at home fans at the Jan Breydel Stadium.The Ligue 1 club had already been on probation for lighting flares and fireworks in their European fixture away to Slavia Prague in September.
UEFA hits Lens with away supporters ban
As per UEFA.com, Lens have been charged with ‘lighting of pyrotechnics or any other objects’, ‘throwing of objects’ and ‘acts of damage caused to the stadium and/or its installations’ during the match in Brugge last week.
Yannick Cahuzac’s side have been issued a fine of €80,000 (£67,000) and a restriction from selling tickets to their fans for their next two away fixtures in the Champions League, against RB Leipzig on 24 November and Liverpool at Anfield in the final league phase matchday on 27 January.
Football fans’ safety should never be compromised
According to L’Equipe (via Get French Football News), Lens executives have been angrered by the behaviour of the ‘fans’ responsible and won’t sell tickets to their supporters for their upcoming Ligue 1 fixture away to Lille on Friday.
Lens supporters are renowned for being some of the most fervent and passionate in France, and they would’ve surely brought a vocal contingent with them to Anfield were it not for the ban from UEFA. It’s a shame that the club’s genuine fans have been prohibited from attending the game because of the actions of an idiot minority, as they would’ve added to the occasion in L4 in three months’ time.
However, with a group of their ‘fans’ now culpable of repeated infractions when it comes to activating pyrotechnics, a hardline stance needed to be taken so that the safety of Liverpool supporters wouldn’t be compromised. We don’t want to see stadium bans being issued by UEFA and diluting the atmosphere at European fixtures, but we also don’t want for match-going fans to be put at risk because of dangerous acts going unpunished.
Hopefully those responsible for the pyrotechnics will be penalised suitably and learn from their mindless actions. Going to a football game should be a safe and enjoyable experience, not one where public safety can’t be guaranteed because of a minority of miscreants.
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