SC Freiburg’s Europa League Victory Overshadowed by Travel Restrictions

SC Freiburg’s Europa League victory last night was somewhat overshadowed by the stringent restrictions imposed on their traveling supporters during their trip to southern France. The Bundesliga club faced these limitations while visiting Ligue 1 team OGC Nice, which took preventive measures following previous disturbances between its fans and those of 1. FC Köln during a Conference League match in autumn 2022.

The French club mandated that Freiburg supporters travel to the stadium via special shuttle buses and required them to collect their tickets at a designated meeting point. In addition, several other common restrictions inherent in European football were enforced. Fans were prohibited from displaying SC Freiburg merchandise while en route to the stadium, were directed into the guest-block ahead of time, and were escorted out shortly after the final whistle.

As a result of the management of fan traffic to the stadium, many SC Freiburg supporters found themselves confined on their shuttle buses for an extended period without access to restrooms. Consequently, the fans chose not to vocally support their team during the match. SC Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster addressed this issue during the post-match press conference.

“It does affect me to hear about something like this,” Schuster remarked. “We are fundamentally very grateful to be able to travel internationally. It means a lot to us as a club and, of course, to the fans as well. These are experiences nobody wants to hear about. One would not wish such conditions on anyone. The fans should know that our thoughts are with them. I hope and wish that they return home safely.”