Lack of World Cup segregation a risk - fans' chief
Summary
The head of Football Supporters Europe expressed concern about a lack of seating separation between fans of opposing teams at the World Cup, saying this is unusual and increases risks during matches. There is also confusion and inconsistency around rules for bringing flags into stadiums, with some fans having their flags removed without clear explanations.Key Facts
- Fans of opposing teams have been sitting together during World Cup matches, which is not normal for such tournaments.
- FIFA does not fully know who owns all the tickets due to extensive resale activities, making it harder to control fan placement.
- The mixing of fans from different teams creates a risk that has not been fully addressed by FIFA.
- Some stadiums have prevented fans from bringing or displaying flags, causing confusion among supporters.
- Disagreements exist over which flags are allowed, as FIFA bans political, offensive, or discriminatory symbols but has unclear rules on other types of flags.
- FIFA allocates 8% of match tickets to the supporters of each participating country, consistent with past tournaments.
- A court ruling in Los Angeles banned Iranian fans from bringing pre-revolution flags to matches, labeling those as political symbols.
- FIFA’s official guidance says small fire-resistant flags are allowed, but larger ones need prior approval.
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