FC Basel will have to do without the away support from the visiting fans on Thursday. For fear of disturbances, the supporters of the Swiss club are not welcome in Nice.
Feyenoord-Roma tradition is followed: no fans welcome in Nice either
Mayor Christian Estrosi had already expressed his concerns last week about the arrival of FC Basel fans for the Conference League game against OGC Nice. The Swiss supporters had caused problems around the duel with Olympique Marseille in March.
The local authorities have opted for a drastic measure to prevent new disturbances. Nice is off limits to Basel fans from 10 a.m. on Wednesday to 9 p.m. on Friday.
This measure follows the example of the mayor of Rome, who has forbidden Feyenoord supporters to be in the Italian capital on Thursday for the Europa League return against AS Roma.
UEFA is strongly opposed to a ban on away supporters. The European is considering the consequences of such measures. If away fans are not allowed to enter the stadium, the match will not be played there from now on. As far as we are concerned, it is that simple,” said President Aleksander Ceferin in response to the refusal of the Italian authorities to allow supporters of Eintracht Frankfurt for the Champions League match with Napoli.
Uproar in France about Gözübüyük’s appointment
In France, questions are being raised about the appointment of Serdar Gözübüyük for the Conference League quarter-final between OGC Nice and FC Basel. The reason? The Dutch nationality of the referee.
The confrontation between Nice and Basel is described by L’Équipe as ‘a meeting that could tip the French UEFA ranking in favour of the Netherlands’. After the 2-2 in Switzerland, Nice hopes to imitate neighbour Marseille by reaching the semi-finals of the Conference League. The club from the south of France is the only remaining representative of the current number five in the UEFA ranking.
That while the Netherlands still has two irons in the coefficient fire with Feyenoord and AZ. This brings the pursuer of France dangerously close, writes the French newspaper. It read, “The appointment of Gözübüyük, a Dutch arbitrator, would therefore cause quite a stir.” Yet there is also a nuance. All four times that Gözübüyük has refereed a French club so far – including twice earlier this season (Kiev – Rennes (0-1) and Monaco – Red Star Belgrade (4-1)) – the game ended in a victory for the French.
Former referee Saïd Ennjimi also got involved in the matter. He said, “Mr. Gözübüyük was initially appointed because of his ability. Sometimes it is possible that there are some problems after the appointment. But in my opinion he is impartial and UEFA has not taken this characteristic (his nationality) into account.”
