Ajax have sent a formal complaint to UEFA after Real Sociedad refused to sell tickets to Dutch away fans for their Europa League match.
The two sides are set to meet at the Reale Arena on November 28 in Spain. However, Real Sociedad have informed Ajax that they will not sell tickets to its fans for the match.
The Spanish club are of the opinion that crowd trouble from opposition fan bases when European teams visit San Sebastian for a game is a regular occurrence and are acting to ensure safety. Real Sociedad believe in previous instances, San Sebastian citizens and home fans in the Reale Arena have been attacked by opposition fans.
Ajax have voiced their displeasure at Real Sociedad’s decision, with a club statement saying they were “very unpleasantly surprised on Monday by the announcement that the Spanish club intends not to provide tickets for the away box.
“On several occasions in recent weeks, Ajax consulted with UEFA, Real Sociedad and local authorities about the organization of the match. Those talks revealed, among other things, that the club and the city have had several negative experiences with previous visits by supporters of other foreign clubs.
“Ajax now seems to bear the brunt of that. In anticipation of a final decision, Ajax has already taken the issue to UEFA.”
UEFA regulations state that “home clubs must make at least 5 per cent of the stadium capacity available exclusively to visiting supporters in an area of the stadium that can be segregated”.
Real Sociedad’s 2-1 Europa League defeat by Anderlecht on October 3 was marred by crowd violence from the Belgian club’s away fans.
During the first half, a section of the Anderlecht support was seen to be throwing chairs over the barricade into the home section. As a result, Spanish police entered the Anderlecht end and arrested eight fans. Anderlecht subsequently published a statement apologising to the Spanish club and imposing sanctions against a particular fan group.
Ajax have been punished several times by UEFA for fan trouble, as well as experiencing similar issues in domestic matches.
In March 2019, the Dutch side faced their fourth UEFA punishment of the 2018-19 campaign for fan misconduct at Champions League games after UEFA alleged that Ajax fans threw objects and engaged in “acts of damage” at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in the 4-1 victory.
UEFA also banned Ajax fans from a Champions League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on November 5, 2023 following crowd trouble in their fixture at Valencia. The ban followed a suspended sentence imposed after Ajax’s Champions League game against Benfica the season before. Ajax were also handed a fine of €50,000 (£43,200) for the disturbances.
The De Klassieker, match between Ajax and their rivals Feyenoord, was abandoned in September 2023 after the game was stopped as home fans threw flares and fireworks onto the pitch while Feyenoord led 3-0 after 56 minutes at the Johan Cruyff Arena. The match resumed behind closed doors a couple of days later and the home side were fined €25,000 (£20,764.50) as a result.
Ajax were also forced to close off part of their stadium for their Eredivisie match against Vitesse Arnhem in November 2023 following the crowd trouble against Feyernoord.
The Athletic has reached out to UEFA for clarity on whether Real Sociedad will be permitted to not sell away tickets and whether they risk sanctions if not.
(Marcel van Dorst/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
