Eintracht Frankfurt have increased their security forces ahead of the visit of Marseille in tonight’s Champions League clash. Per Kicker, up to 2000 supporters are expected to make the trip from France and after the fan violence in the first leg, Eintracht are taking no chances.
“It’s a game like any other against Marseille. It would have been classified as a high-risk game even if the first leg had gone peacefully,” said Philipp Reschke. “There is a relatively large fan scene problem in Marseille. A smaller part of this will certainly be on the way. We have increased staff in order to be able to use our own forces.”
Eintracht Frankfurt were fined €15,000 and have been given a partial stadium ban, suspended for one year, following riots in the first meeting between the two teams. One Marseille fan has been charged with the attempted murder of an Eintracht fan after one of the projectiles, a flare, hit the German fan in the neck at the Vélodrome stadium during Frankfurt’s visit to Marseille on September 13.
As a safety precaution, Eintracht Frankfurt decided not to sell tickets for the UEFA Youth League meeting between the two teams at 2pm local time today. “We simply wanted to shut down a sideshow as a precaution,” added Reschke, a member on Eintracht’s board. “The decision was made a week after the first leg.”
Around 1300 stewards are expected to be deployed in and around the stadium to keep the two sets of fans separate – 400 more than usual. A large contingent of police will also be visible.
GGFN | Daniel Pinder
