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, while in the years since, fans of Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle have strongly criticised policing and security measures at matches in Istanbul, Lyon and Marseille respectively. Earlier this season, fans were even barred from attending some away matchesin the Champions League amid ‘extremely worrying’ security trends which some believe are worsening, stripping fans of dignity and in some cases leading to dangerous situations. …”
BBC (Video)
Marseille matches are often heavily policed