FBundesliga football club Eintracht Frankfurt will once again have to dig deep into their pockets for unruly fans and may have to withdraw support from their fans following the results of the Conference League preliminary round. The club announced the news in a statement on Monday evening. This is not the first time that the Frankfurt team has either had to pay for the misconduct of some spectators or been punished with partial removal of spectators.
The European Football Association’s UEFA Appeals Chamber has fined the already convicted Hessians a €30,000 fine after Eintracht fans burned pyrotechnics and other items in the stands during a 1-0 win over Finnish representatives HJK. Helsinki, field 9 November. Frankfurt are also not allowed to sell tickets for the final group stage game, which takes place at Aberdeen on December 14.
Helsinki’s Santeri Hostikka was hit in the back with the cup by a Frankfurt block in the 28th minute before taking a corner. Referee Pierre Gayouste then briefly interrupted the game, but continued about two minutes later after an announcement from the stadium announcer and consultation with the player and both coaches.
Just moments later, Fares Chaibi scored for Frankfurt. Eintracht coach Dino Toppmeller had clear words for the incident after the game: “It was a completely unnecessary action. Thank God the player was not injured. I can only apologize to him and the host club.”
Chances of successful appeal are ‘not good’
“The punishment is severe, but given UEFA’s previous sanctioning practices it is not unusual,” board member Philipp Reschke said in a statement from Eintracht. “The sanction was directly imposed not only for throwing the cup, but also for repeated pyrotechnics. Our experience, of course, was a decisive factor here.”
According to the club, due to its importance, the procedure was referred from the outset to UEFA’s appeal body, the so-called Appellate Body. Appeals can now only be made to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). It is unclear whether Frankfurt will take this route.
“We do not yet know the exact reasons for the verdict, but in fact the chances of success of the appeal are small, given the original situation. We will discuss the consequences and further actions in a very short time,” Reschke continued. Numerous fans have probably already booked holidays and hotels in Scotland. The upcoming home game against PAOK Thessaloniki on November 30 will not be affected by the UEFA penalty.
Source: Frantfurter Allgemeine
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