Feyenoord fans arrested ahead of UCL match against Lille

LILLE, France (AP) — Dozens of Feyenoord fans banned from travelling to Lille for the final Champions League group game between the two clubs have been turned away or arrested at the border, according to French authorities.

The Prefecture du Nord, which represents the French state in the Lille region, said 64 fans of the Dutch team have been refused entry to France and that 17 have been arrested and taken into custody.

Police officers seized pyrotechnic devices and various objects that could be used as weapons during their checks, the prefecture said.

France’s interior ministry said there was a “real and serious risk of confrontation” between fans of the two teams when introducing the travel ban ahead of Wednesday’s match at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

The French authorities said Feyenoord’s travels are often marred by “public order disturbances due to the violent behavior of certain supporters or individuals claiming to be supporters of this team,” and they cited several examples of fan violence.

In May 2022, there were violent clashes in France between Marseille and Feyenoord fans outside the Stade Velodrome stadium before the return leg of their Europa Conference League semifinal.

There were also violent clashes in Lille city center when the club played Bulgarian side Levski Sofia in the Europa League in 2010.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer