“That can’t be a solution”
Eintracht boss angry with UEFA because of fan exclusion
Updated 10/23/2025 – 12:36 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The exclusion of Frankfurt fans from the upcoming away game in the Champions League is causing tempers to continue to run high. Club boss Axel Hellmann now found clear words towards UEFA.
On November 4th, Eintracht Frankfurt will play an away game in the Champions League against SSC Napoli. After riots in last year’s duel, Hesse supporters living in Frankfurt will not receive tickets this time according to official orders.
UEFA rejected Eintracht’s request to move the game to a neutral location or to have it take place without spectators. This caused great incomprehension among those responsible at the Bundesliga club.
Eintracht board member Axel Hellmann commented on the topic on DAZN before the Champions League duel with Liverpool FC: “Uefa’s regulations currently do not allow this, but I consider this to be an untenable situation.” It can’t be the case that safety concerns can be used to exclude fans: “We can’t guarantee the safety of the fans, and that’s why there can’t be any there – that can’t be a solution.”
UEFA consultant and DAZN expert Sami Khedira also shared this point of view. In a conversation after the game, the former national player said: “I’m totally on board with it.” He is also annoyed that people with German passports were denied entry. He himself had to cancel many tickets. “What made me personally very, very sad – because it is a football festival.”
Khedira sees the measure as a clear disadvantage for the guests from Frankfurt. Safety is a priority, “but any club can go and say: ‘Nope. I don’t want to.'” In the end, this creates a sporting competitive disadvantage.
On the recommendation of the police, the responsible prefect had issued a ban on the sale of tickets to Frankfurt residents for the entire stadium in Naples. Philipp Reschke, also a board member of the SGE, explained that there is currently no suitable means to take action against this practice or to offset its consequences. According to the club, however, UEFA has promised to look intensively into possible adjustments to the regulations in view of the increasing exclusions.
There had already been massive riots in the round of 16 in March 2023 around the meeting between the two clubs in Naples. At that time, despite the ticket ban, people arrived from Frankfurt. As a result, there were street battles and a police car caught fire. The Italian press spoke of real “guerrilla” clashes in the city.