After the riots surrounding the Champions League game of Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt at SSC Naples (0: 3) last Wednesday, the city of Rome fears riots in the quarter-finals of AS in the Europa League against Feyenoord Rotterdam.
Mayor Roberto Gualtieri asked Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi to ban ticket sales to Dutch fans.
“I have asked the minister to explore the possibility of a travel ban for Feyenoord fans and take a very tough stance to protect the city of Romen”, reported Gualtieri: “We have seen very serious incidents of violence in recent years.“The minister has agreed to take appropriate action,” the mayor said.
Background: Fan riots in 2015
A few hundred Feyenoord fans rioted in February 2015 before the Europa League game against Roma. The damage amounted to tens of thousands of euros. The famous Barcaccia fountain in front of the Spanish Steps was damaged. Six Dutch hooligans have been sentenced to up to four years in prison.
Before the Frankfurt game in Naples, the Italian authorities had banned ticket sales to people residing in Frankfurt/Main, but Eintracht fans still traveled and fought street battles with the police and Napoli supporters.