UEFA must find answers to address several factors behind shocking football scenes: Alan Batullo

Of course, Yurua’s fans weren’t peppering their eyes. They weren’t the ones hitting them over the heads while trying to negotiate the narrow access areas. Police brutality is also worrying.

Much has been written about the crowd turmoil, and the reasons for his increasing regularity and scale, in the wake of last summer’s Euro 2020 final between England and Italy at Wembley. Clips of ticketless fans evading the hosts went viral. There has been much focus on the undeniable rise in cocaine consumption by football fans.

It is unrealistic to claim that there are no multiple factors behind the recent disturbing scenes as well as the hard-to-ignore rise in pitch invasions. When players and the rear crew are attacked on a sacred plot, something goes wrong with the backers’ control.

Fortunately, this particular problem has not featured much in Scotland since the 2016 Scottish Cup final, when Hibs fans took to track and track in Hampden to salute their historic win over Rangers. “Excessive exuberance,” was a term memorably used by then-President of the Hibs, Rod Petrie. This description has become the subject of intense debate. What is indisputable is that ‘excessive exuberance’ cannot be used to describe the shocking scenes in Saint-Etienne on Sunday night as fans reacted to their team’s relegation from Ligue 1 following their penalty shootout defeat to Auxerre in a play-off. It seemed like an absolute mess.

Even in November, there were concerns about a wave of fan violence that disrupted Lionel Messi’s first league season. The president of the Professional Football League, Vincent Labron, denounced “gangrene that could kill us”. France is scheduled to host the 2024 Olympics and the Rugby World Cup next year.

In addition to the severe shortages of water and food on display at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium, there have been countless stories of security and security issues, including indiscriminate and violent body searches. In other words, disrespecting the fans. second.

But football has to bear some responsibility. Anfield coach Jurgen Klopp urged Liverpool fans to travel to Paris, whether they have tickets or not. Imagine Giovanni van Bronckhorst made the same call to Rangers fans earlier this month?

It could be a perfect storm of factors including what some attribute to the post-shutdown delirium remaining. However, it is up to UEFA to find an answer to the vexing question of why many now think twice about taking family members to a high-profile game.