Europa league Match Marred as Stuttgart Fans Face Entry Ban, Sparking Outrage
Deventer, Netherlands – A Europa league match between Go Ahead Eagles and VfB Stuttgart on Thursday was overshadowed by the controversial exclusion of a critically important number of stuttgart supporters, prompting a strong rebuke from the German club’s CEO, Alexander Wehrle. Three buses carrying VfB fans were denied entry to the city of Deventer by local authorities,citing alleged aggressive behavior towards police at a designated meeting point.
According to VfB Stuttgart, the Dutch authorities barred the occupants of the three buses from attending the match, which Stuttgart won 4-0. The club reports the reason given was aggressive conduct towards police. In a show of solidarity, other Stuttgart fans who were not directly affected by the ban reportedly began their journey home.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this before,” Wehrle told RTL, visibly angered by the situation. “What really shocks me is when you get off a bus in Europe today and are greeted with a stick in the neck.Where are we then?” He described the police action as “entirely disproportionate” and confirmed the club immediately filed a complaint with UEFA.
The incident comes amidst a growing trend of visiting fan exclusions from international matches. Recent examples include Eintracht frankfurt playing a Champions League game in Naples without their supporters, and authorities in Birmingham banning fans of Tel Aviv from a match against Aston villa.
While local authorities maintain the ban was necessary, Go Ahead Eagles director Jan Willem van Dop explained to newspaper De Stentor that the operation stemmed from the presence of fans without tickets on the buses.He emphasized the importance of upholding stadium regulations.
However, deventer’s mayor, Ron König, had already issued a ban on Stuttgart fans entering the city center earlier in the day, citing concerns about potential public safety disruptions based on police intelligence. “Our starting point is that we want to organize the Europa League games in Deventer in a hospitable, comfortable and safe way,” König stated. “But now it turns out that some people have completely different ideas about it.”
Members of Stuttgart’s executive committee were present with the fans and reported observing no aggressive behavior. The club is demanding a full investigation into the matter.
