Lens Punishes Its Fans Without Tickets for the Derby Against Lille Due to the Incidents in Bruges
Lens will not sell tickets for the away section for the derby against Lille after the firework incidents in Bruges.
French club Racing Club de Lens is "punishing" its fans for the derby against Lille, to be played this Friday, following the incidents that occurred in Bruges during the third matchday of the Champions League, the club announced on Wednesday in a statement.
Lens confirmed that it will not put tickets for the away section on sale, meaning its supporters will not be able to attend the match against Lille, which will be played this Friday at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, located in Villeneuve-d'Ascq (France).
The Bruges incidents, the origin of the punishment
The measure comes as a punishment following what happened in the match against Bruges on the third matchday of the Champions League, where, according to the club, "fans collectively decided to set off fireworks", as many as 132, according to the UEFA report.
"This widespread use occurred despite RC Lens being under a strict suspended sentence for the closure of its away section in the Champions League, which put all of its supporters at risk of further sanctions," the club said.
The French club also condemned the acts committed in Bruges as "dangerous and hostile pyrotechnics", as well as the throwing of projectiles onto the pitch and towards fans, including the club's disabled supporters.
"A red line has been crossed"
"A red line has been crossed. This line was not implicit. It had been jointly defined by the club and supporter groups after talks held 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 of those involved in the game must never be put at risk," Lens explained.
As a strict measure, the club announced that it will not open the away stand against Lille, as it considered that the sense of responsibility everyone should have pledged has been "ignored", and it intends to "punish and prevent".
"The club reiterates in the strongest terms 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 individuals rather than against anonymous persons," the statement concluded. EFE
