Feyenoord's Appeal to Lift Fan Ban Rejected by French Court

Feyenoord's appeal to lift the ban on their fans attending the Champions League match against Lille has been rejected by the French court, leaving the club 'extremely disappointed'.

The Paris court has upheld the ban on Feyenoord fans attending the Champions League game against Lille, citing a “real and serious risk of confrontation” between fans of the two teams. This decision comes after “many weeks of intensive deliberation between both clubs and the French authorities,” according to Feyenoord.

The French interior ministry expressed concerns about the potential for violence, noting that 3,600 Feyenoord fans had planned to travel to Lille, exceeding the allocated seats in the stadium by 1,000. Moreover, 500 of those fans were identified as “dangerous” by the ministry, which highlighted Feyenoord's history of “public order disturbances due to the violent behavior of certain supporters or individuals claiming to be supporters of this team.”

The ministry also referenced past incidents, including violent altercations in Nancy in November 2006, which led to a stoppage of the game and Feyenoord's exclusion from the UEFA Cup. Additionally, there were violent confrontations between police and Feyenoord fans in Marseille in 2022 before the Europa League game.

Feyenoord's Appeal Rejected

Feyenoord had planned to bring 2,000 fans to Lille for the Champions League match and had submitted a “detailed plan” to ensure their safe and responsible transportation to the city in Northern France. However, the French authorities remained unconvinced, leading Feyenoord to initiate a summary procedure at the Council of State in Paris in a last-ditch attempt to lift the ban.

Feyenoord fans are NOT welcome at tomorrow's game against Lille, a high court in Paris has decided.

Another example of how the French fail in organizing international football games. https://t.co/tl8VcNKCxl

— KuipTalk (@KuipTalk) January 28, 2025

The administrative supreme court ultimately upheld the ban on Tuesday, leaving Feyenoord “extremely disappointed.” In a statement, the club expressed their disappointment, saying, “Feyenoord are extremely disappointed that the summary proceedings were not settled in favour of the club, but can only resist the result in the knowledge that the club, together with FSV de Feijenoorder, has made every effort to have away supporters present at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.”

In light of the ban, Feyenoord fans have been advised not to travel to Lille or surrounding cities. The club's efforts to have the ban lifted have been unsuccessful, and they must now come to terms with playing the match without their away supporters.