The northern club is fined and its supporters are banned from travelling to two away matches following disorder in its away section.
Racing Club de Lens has been sanctioned by UEFA following inappropriate conduct by its supporters during its trip to Club Brugge on Wednesday 21 October, as part of the Champions League. The match, lost 3-0 by the Sang et Or, was marked by flares thrown from the away section reserved for Lens fans.
The European governing body has imposed a financial fine on the club. It has also handed down a strict travel ban for the club's supporters for the next two away matches. In practical terms, Lens season-ticket holders will not be able to accompany their team to these two fixtures, a measure designed to exert direct pressure on the behaviour of the supporters' groups.
Sanctions of this kind are not uncommon in European competition. UEFA holds clubs responsible for the actions of their supporters, whether pyrotechnics, objects thrown or disorder in the stands, even when the incidents occur at home for the opposing side. Flares are closely monitored, as they constitute a regulatory breach and a risk to the safety of spectators and players alike.
For RC Lens, the sanction arrives at a sensitive point in the season, as the club aims to establish itself on a lasting basis on the European stage. Depriving part of its fanbase of the chance to travel means a loss of atmosphere and support at important matches, not to mention the financial cost of the fine. The club must now work with its supporters' groups to prevent further incidents.
The affair is a reminder that the popular fervour which gives French clubs their strength in Europe must be expressed within the rules. Lens's upcoming European away trips will be watched closely by UEFA, which has made clear that any repetition of such incidents could lead to heavier sanctions.
The European governing body has imposed a financial fine on the club. It has also handed down a strict travel ban for the club's supporters for the next two away matches. In practical terms, Lens season-ticket holders will not be able to accompany their team to these two fixtures, a measure designed to exert direct pressure on the behaviour of the supporters' groups.
Sanctions of this kind are not uncommon in European competition. UEFA holds clubs responsible for the actions of their supporters, whether pyrotechnics, objects thrown or disorder in the stands, even when the incidents occur at home for the opposing side. Flares are closely monitored, as they constitute a regulatory breach and a risk to the safety of spectators and players alike.
For RC Lens, the sanction arrives at a sensitive point in the season, as the club aims to establish itself on a lasting basis on the European stage. Depriving part of its fanbase of the chance to travel means a loss of atmosphere and support at important matches, not to mention the financial cost of the fine. The club must now work with its supporters' groups to prevent further incidents.
The affair is a reminder that the popular fervour which gives French clubs their strength in Europe must be expressed within the rules. Lens's upcoming European away trips will be watched closely by UEFA, which has made clear that any repetition of such incidents could lead to heavier sanctions.
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Source: Ouest-France