Lens punishes its fans

He Lens Racing Club French punishes his fans for the derby against him Lille, which will be held this Friday, after the events that occurred on October 21 in Witches during the third day of the Champions League, as reported this Wednesday in a statement.

Lens announced that it will not put tickets for the visiting sector on sale, so its fans will not be able to attend the match against Lille at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, located in the town of Villeneuve-d’Ascq.

This measure comes as punishment after the incidents in Bruges, where, according to the club, “The fans collectively decided to launch fireworks,” up to 132, as stated in the UEFA report.

““This widespread use occurred despite RC Lens being under a strict conditional suspension due to the closure of their away section in the Champions League, putting all their supporters at risk of further sanctions.”he reported.

UEFA sanction

Likewise, the French club denounces that the acts committed in Bruges constitute “dangerous and hostile pyrotechnics”as well as the launching of projectiles towards the pitch and fans, including disabled supporters of the club.

UEFA, which had already adopted a suspended sanction for similar incidents in the match against Slavia Prague in September, on Tuesday banned Lens from selling tickets to its fans for the next two Champions League matches against Leipzig and Liverpool.

A history of incidents

“A red line has been crossed. This line was not implicit. It had been defined jointly by the club and fan groups following discussions last season, following previous incidents in Metz, Lille, London and Reims. The commitments made then were based on a simple principle: the safety of people and those participating in the game must never be put at risk.”explained Lens, who lost 3-0 in Bruges.

For this reason and as a strict measure, the club announced that it will not open the visiting stands against Lille, since the club considered that it had “ignored” the sense of responsibility that everyone should have promised and with which they intend “punish and prevent.”

“The club reiterates with the utmost firmness that access to the stadium is prohibited with the face covered by balaclavas. It also announces that, from now on, whenever circumstances allow, formal complaints will be systematically filed against specific people instead of against anonymous people,” ends the statement.