VfB Stuttgart is continuing its efforts to clarify the exact background of the incidents on the journey of some of its fans to the Champions League game in Belgrade. The Bundesliga club said they are still in the process of obtaining more information. Several buses with VfB fans turned around at the border with Serbia on the way to the game on Wednesday and drove back to Stuttgart – allegedly because of disproportionately strict controls by the Serbian police. A total of 2,400 Stuttgart fans had purchased tickets for the Rajko Mitic Stadium However, part of the guest block remained empty after the incidents at midday.
According to SWR, one of those affected reported that individual people were taken from the buses into cabins. They had to undress completely for the checks there. When they refused, batons were said to have been used
“First and foremost, of course, we concentrated on the game,” said VfB sports director Fabian Wohlgemuth after the surprisingly clear 1:5 (1:2) defeat at the Serbian champions Red Star. We only found out about the incidents shortly before kick-off. It is “an issue that concerns us,” said Wohlgemuth. However, he doesn’t know enough details to form an opinion about it. Once these have been collected and discussed internally, we will see how to deal with them further, explained the 45-year-old. Serbian media had also reported that the police were said to have arrested 15 people after a fight in downtown Belgrade on Wednesday afternoon – including supposedly also ten VfB fans.
The Stuttgart team had long been preparing for a high-risk game and had given their supporters several safety tips in the days before the game – also because some of the Red Star fans were considered to be “seeking violence and belonging to organized crime”. .
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