Europa League final: Uefa says ticketless fans 'could be a problem' in Dublin (2024)
 Posted on : Mar 13, 2024, 10:43AM   17 total views  Category : Sports

A general view of the Aviva Stadium

The Aviva Stadium in Dublin will host this year's Europa League final

 

Uefa says ticketless fans "could be a problem" at the Europa League final at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on 22 May.

 

It "would be extremely challenging" to accommodate supporters if clubs with bigger fanbases reached the final, says general secretary Theodore Theodoridis.

 

Liverpool, Rangers and West Ham could all be in Friday's quarter-final draw.

 

In 2022, Uefa apologised after Liverpool fans were penned in and teargassed before the Champions League final in Paris.

 

Uefa and French authorities initially blamed ticketless fans for the events.

 

However, an independent report found Uefa bore "primary responsibility" for the chaotic scenes that saw kick-off delayed by 36 minutes.

 

There was also criticism of the 2023 Champions League final in Istanbul, with fans reportedly having to walk extended distances along busy roads, queue for hours for transport to and from the stadium and being left without water as Manchester City beat Inter Milan on 10 June.

 

Liverpool and Rangers, who have reached recent European finals, have huge fanbases with lots of supporters from the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.

 

West Ham took around 20,000 fans to Prague for their Europa Conference League final victory against Fiorentina in June 2023.

 

"There are a couple of pairings that would be extremely challenging in terms of finding ways to accommodate everyone who wanted to be in Dublin," Theodoridis said.

 

"We have gone to reserve Croke Park as a potential viewing venue but it might not be enough.

 

"We work with the local authority and Football Supporters Europe but the number of supporters without tickets could be a problem."

Read more here

 

-- Courtesy of BBC Sport

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