FC Twente will not take fans to Thursday’s away game against Swedish Hammarby IF in the second preliminary round of the Conference League. That writes the club in a statement Monday. According to general manager Paul van der Kraan, the decision was made because the club has received new information about the safety of the 1,500 fans who would travel to Stockholm. Last weekend, the club management assured that fans — without red-white colors or other club expressions — would be able to attend the match.
After Thursday’s events in what Van der Kraan describes as “disturbances”, the club has received “new insights” in recent days. The club may be afraid of retaliation after incidents of violence in the first leg last week. When asked, a spokesman for FC Twente would not comment on the nature of this new information. He also does not want to make any statements about possible measures that the club will take against supporters involved in the violence. “The investigation is still ongoing,” said the spokesman.
Main stand storming
The ME had to intervene on Thursday evening during the game won by FC Twente (1-0) when home supporters got into a fight with Swedish fans. Images from the stadium show dozens of hooligans fighting each other. Members of the hard core of FC Twente had broken out of their box and stormed the main stand, where about two hundred Swedes were sitting. Several men were taken to hospital, including a Swedish supporter who appeared to have been thrown over the balustrade.
The club wants fans who bought a ticket for the upcoming European away match in Stockholm to “compensate for the costs”. For example, the match tickets would be reimbursed in full, and flight tickets and hotel stays partially.
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