A clash between Genk football hooligans and police in Utrecht has led the Union of European Football Associations to fine the club €50,000 and ban them from bussing supporters in to the next international match. Genk has yet to decide if it will appeal the decision.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has laid down a fine of €50,000 and banned Racing Genk from transporting supporters to the next international match following an incident during the Utrecht-Genk game last week. Ahead of the match in the Galgenwaard stadium in Utrecht on 22 January, a few dozen Genk supporters bypassed the official entry and security searchers to enter the stadium.
The police were called, and violence broke out between Genk supporters and police. All Genk supporters were eventually forced out of the stadium, and the match started late without supporters for the Racing Genk team. Many fans and stewards were injured in the clash.
We could only deal with the situation by using force of our own
Utrecht police
There has been heavy criticism from both sides, with Utrecht authorities saying the violent reaction of police was necessary to clear out the troublemakers. “A group of up to 80 people forced a gate in order to avoid the ticket check and security measures,” said Utrecht mayor Sharon Dijskma “Three of our security personnel were injured. One of the Genk hooligans also kicked a police dog and several security cameras were damaged.”
The supporters who circumvented security measures claim they went through a gate that had been opened to ease congestion at the four entry gates, where lines were backed up. They say they were told to use the gate by the stewards at the entrance.
According to Racing Genk, most of the supporters were not causing trouble and were still injured and forced to leave the match to which they had tickets. There were also several more busses full of Racing Genk supporters who were not allowed to enter the parking or the stadium.
Local police in Utrecht said that some of the fans were violent hooligans who had to be cleared out. “We could only deal with the situation by using force of our own,” said police. “And because there was so much damage done to the stands, it was unsafe to allow other supporters to use them.”
Racing Genk has the option to appeal the UEFA’s decision but has not yet responded.