FC Bayern’s supporters want to outsmart UEFA
During Bayern Munich’s 3-1 win over Sporting CP in the Champions League, the ultras in the Südkurve lit up flares early into the second half of the match. That basically guarantees a punishment, but it was apparently intentional. Why did they do that?
There’s a post from Bild (captured by Goal) that basically explains everything which I will relay to you here. The situation of the club and ultras with UEFA is precarious, because the governing body warned that there will be repercussions following a pyro show during the home leg against Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16 of last season’s campaign. In this case, a partial stadium closure should there be another offence within two years of that match.
The ultras know that the Bavarians’ next home game is against Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise on January 21, which they feel is a low stakes game (or a game that Bayern can easily win) and that effects of their absence will be negligible. The ban will almost certainly apply to that match so by serving the stadium closure there, they believe that the ban will be reset by the knockout rounds so that they can continue to support Bayern like they always do.
The result is that blocks 114 and 115, the main territory of the ultras in the Südkurve, will be cleared out for the Union SG match. Anticipating this inevitable closure, leading figures of the ultras are organizing ticket purchases to sections unaffected by the partial closure.
Basically, the ultras want their presence during a match against better opposition, so they effectively sacrificed one match to make it possible. While UEFA hasn’t revealed a caveat or something similar, Bayern’s ultras found a loophole so they can get away with their stunt.
What do you think about this carefully coordinated stunt? Let us know in the comments!
Category: General Sports
