December 10 – Spanish football’s crackdown on misbehaving fans has been criticised by Europe’s main supporters group for being far too strict and indiscriminate.
La Liga clubs and Spanish football authorities are working together to outlaw fanatical ‘ultras’ from stadiums and their surroundings following the killing of a Deportivo La Coruna supporter during fighting ahead of last month’s fixture at Atletico Madrid that shocked the nation.
Fans who sing offensive chants are among those being targeted but the Football Supporters Europe network (FSE), which has members in 42 countries, says innocent fans who are neither violent nor abusive will inevitably be hit.
“First of all, there is great reason to doubt that mass punishments meet constitutional principles,” the FSE said in a statement.
“Furthermore, which is even worse, these measures also threaten a vast majority of young supporters, who are organised in these groups and never behaved in a violent or racist way before.”
FSE said that while the sanctions might help offset public pressure, “it is a fact that they do not lead to a long-term reduction of violence and/or problems like racism and discrimination in Spanish football, problems which had been neglected for many years.”
“We call for the development of alternative approaches which can preserve all the positive elements of a vibrant fan culture without defending those who are evidently promoting racism or violence in and around Spanish stadiums.”
Under the new crackdown, Spain’s professional league (LFP) has so far identified fans of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Deportivo, Rayo Vallecano and Granada for chanting abuse. All will be reported to a government commission which would then decide whether to refer them to the Spanish federation for possible punishment.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734885169labto1734885169ofdlr1734885169owedi1734885169sni@w1734885169ahsra1734885169w.wer1734885169dna1734885169