Sevilla have announced that they will appeal the ban on away fans, announced by France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin for the upcoming UEFA Champions League tie against RC Lens.
Speaking on Brut on Sunday, Darmanin said that Sevilla fans would be prohibited from travelling to the Bollaert. The ban is part of a larger government edict, banning away fans at French football matches. Many matches that were deemed “high-risk” saw a blanket ban on away fans in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. OGC Nice-Stade de Reims was one of the games affected by the ban, however, around 60 away fans ultimately attended Sunday’s match at the Allianz Riviera.
The bans are in response to the death of an FC Nantes fan outside the Beaujoire ahead of the match against Nice on December 2nd. The temporary ban brought in on away fans since runs until 18th December, and as expected it now looks set to affect European fixtures.
Sevilla fans being ‘unfairly treated’
Just two days before Sevilla’s fixture against Lens, Darmanin announced that the La Liga side’s fans would not be allowed to travel. Sevilla’s response has been swift – the Spanish side confirming that an immediate appeal would be lodged, adding that the decision to ban Sevilla fans had not been communicated, neither by French authorities nor by UEFA.
In an official statement released on Sunday evening, Sevilla said that are “actively engaging with the Spanish government in an effort to prevent the implementation of the ban, especially since many fans have already booked flights and travel arrangements.”
Sevilla added, “We believe that our fans are being unfairly treated and a dangerous precedent is being set regarding supporter travel […] We will formally complain to UEFA regarding what has happened, which was done without prior notice and with virtually no time for response.”
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
