Sevilla fans banned from travelling for Lens Champions League match -

Sevilla fans have been banned from travelling to Lens for their final Champions League group stage match against the French side on Tuesday night.

The French interior minister Gerald Darmanin announced the measures in an interview on Sunday night and they have now been confirmed by a local government order.

An order from the Pas-de-Calais department said that “any person showing themselves to be a Sevilla supporter, or behaving as such” would be forbidden from entering Lens’ Bollaert-Delelis stadium or its surroundings from 10am on Tuesday, December 12 to 3am on Wednesday, December 13.

Lens are third in Group B on five points with a chance of progressing to the last-16 while Sevilla are bottom on two points. Both teams remain in contention for a Europa League spot.

The Pas-de-Calais department said it had taken the decision as the presence of Sevilla fans “posed a serious risk to security”. It cited “attempts at contact” between Lens and Sevilla fans trying to “organise a fight” before their first match in September, clashes between Sevilla and Arsenal fans after their game in September and between Sevilla and Roma fans before last season’s Europa League final.

The order also cited “the links of friendship between Sevilla supporters and those of (Belgian side) Club de Liege” who it said could travel to the match given their “geographical proximity” and referenced “the very strong migrant pressure in Calais”.

Sevilla published an official statement after the interview by Darmanin on Sunday night saying it was “actively engaging with the Spanish government” to prevent the ban from being implemented given how many fans had already booked flights and made travel arrangements. A major Spanish supporters’ group said it would dispute the order in the courts.

“We believe that our fans are being unfairly treated and a dangerous precedent is being set regarding supporter travel,” Sevilla said on Sunday night.

“We will formally complain to UEFA regarding what has happened, which was done without prior notice and with virtually no time for a response.”

Sevilla president Jose Castro later called the decision “a genuine atrocity”.

“We’re doing everything possible with the national government so that these fans can be at the match,” he said. “An announcement came out this morning which said that they won’t let them enter, but the club’s liaison officer will be in touch with all of them to help them as much as possible. It doesn’t make sense because they’re 300 football fans who are only coming to see their team. If there are problems in France, that is said in time. Not the afternoon before.

“They’re not banned from travelling and we’re going to work until the last moment, but I can’t assure something that doesn’t depend on us. We’re trying to resolve it, but it still isn’t. We hope and wish that good sense prevails. We’ve also spoken with UEFA and we’re waiting for news.

“The next few hours will be very important for resolving this absurd subject, because it’s something that hadn’t happened before. Until yesterday nobody had any official news and we all found out through an interview with the French minister. There was nothing official to warn those fans and it’s an atrocity that limits Europeans’ rights, in this case of Spaniards.”

FASFE, the Federation of Shareholders and Members of Spanish Football, said the order was a violation of European Union rules.

“We consider this order to be illegal and we are going to dispute it in the courts with the help of our colleagues in the National Assocation of French Supporters and the FSE (Football Supporters Europe),” a spokesperson said.

(Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

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