Manchester United supporters rage at Feyenoord and Uefa after Europa League ticket allocation is cut by half
Uefa have since confirmed that just 1,400 supporters will be allowed to follow the 20-time champions of England to the Netherlands
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Manchester United fans have hit out at both Uefa and Feyenoord after they received a reduced ticket allocation for their Europa League opener due to the Dutch side’s recent crowd trouble.
United, who travel to Rotterdam next Thursday, have received 1,000 fewer tickets after Feyenoord decided to voluntarily cut their 51,000 De Kuip capacity in half in an effort to avoid further sanctions after disturbances against Roma in February.
Uefa have confirmed that just 1,400 supporters will be allowed to follow the 20-time champions of England after Feyenoord were handed a two-year suspended sentence which included a £42,000 fine and a match being played behind closed doors.
The disruption during the last-32 fixture against Roma last season was such that the referee, Clement Turpin, was forced to twice temporarily suspend proceedings as missiles were launched onto the field of play by unruly supporters in the home areas.
Feyenoord were also handed a separate three-year suspended sentence for another flare-up after an inflatable banana was reportedly thrown at former Arsenal winger Gervinho. A Manchester United Supporters’ Trust statement, published by the Daily Mail, said: “Our travelling support are really disappointed about the reduced allocation for United supporters.
“We don't see why our fans should be affected by the Police concerns over home fans' behaviour and choosing to reduce their capacity for the match.
“We are glad United took this issue seriously and lobbied on our behalf, and M.U.S.T has also written to Dutch authorities seeking more answers, but sadly the short time frame between the draw and the match means we cannot change the outcome this time.
“We have also made the point that reducing the away allocation for such an easily accessible game may prove counter-productive and potentially increase security risk if ticketless MUFC fans are in the vicinity of the stadium attempting to get tickets.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments