Rangers and Frankfurt combine to produce dossier to UEFA over Europa League final problems
Rangers and their Europa League final opponents Eintracht Frankfurt are going to help UEFA stop a repeat of a problem that marred the final.
In the sweltering heat of the Seville sun, many fans from both clubs wanted to get themselves a drink of anything from the kiosks in the ground but found that very few, if any, were open which led to some fans getting a sip of water from bathroom taps.
Both clubs condemned the lack of organisation from UEFA, which also saw Liverpool fans be pepper-sprayed ahead of the Champions League final amid a ticketing nightmare, and they will now try to provide ideas and feedback on how it could have been handled differently.
“These issues could easily have led to even more severe problems on the night and it was only thanks to the calmness and mutual respect of both sets of fans towards each other that there were not more severe injuries suffered,” a club statement said, as quoted by the BBC.
“All three parties applaud the remarkable calmness of the two fan bases, given the situation they faced.
“Apart from the severe lack of food and – even more critically in the soaring temperatures – of water, there were several organisational problems around policing, body searches and beyond.”
Exemplary behaviour
Aside from the fluids issue that should never have happened, fans from both the Bears and their German counterparts proved that football fans can mix together and not end up in a mass brawl.
Due to the majority of tickets going to a UEFA ballot, many supporters from both sides had to sit in a non-prescribed area which often saw Rangers supporters sitting next to Germans for the biggest game of both clubs’ seasons.
The traditional view of football fans would have seen fights all over the stadium as a result but there was no such drama at all in the stands as the Bundesliga side claimed victory after a penalty shootout.
It was all extremely civil and a sign of the respect everybody had for their opponents and it proves that more clubs should be trying to introduce mixed seating at their games in the future.
As long as only the responsible fans are seated in these areas, not the ultras, then everyone can enjoy the game with no problem and it will create some fantastic moments and memories for all involved.
In other Rangers news, a central defender is set to return to Ibrox after a cup-winning loan spell in his homeland for pre-season amid a mini-crisis for Giovanni van Bronckhorst.