In Belgian Saint-Gilloise, Berliners are not welcome on Thursday
Source: dpa/Sebastian Gollnow
Union Berlin has to do without fans in the stadium in the Europa League game at Union Saint-Gilloise after a Uefa ban. The mayor quickly extends the ban to the entire city. Too much of a good thing for Union. The club complains.
Whe saw again on Sunday in the last-minute win against Borussia Mönchengladbach how the Union Berlin team and fans goad each other to top performances, must see it as a disadvantage: Ironically, in the decisive away game to get into the knockout stages. -round of the Europa League against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium), the Bundesliga leaders have to do without their fans in the stadium.
“It’s not nice. Our fans are part of the whole, but we also have some responsibility for it. It is therefore important to accept this decision. It certainly doesn’t help us,” said coach Urs Fischer on Wednesday before the game at Royale Union Saint-Gilloise on Thursday evening (9 p.m. / RTL +).
Due to missing parts of the attachment in the game in Malmö (1: 0), the Köpenicker were not allowed to sell tickets for the game after a penalty from Uefa, that much was clear for a long time. But on Tuesday, the city of Leuven, where Saint-Gilloise has to play its European Cup games, followed suit: Union fans were banned from entering the city and the surrounding area and threatened with arrests. Between Thursday (10:00 a.m.) and Friday (10:00 a.m.) Union fans would be “arrested in the city of Leuven and in the neighboring sub-communities without a valid ticket”. The presence of German fans could “disrupt public order”, the measure was justified according to the Union.
The Berliners accepted Uefa’s punishment, but they are taking action against the ban on entry. As the club announced, he filed a lawsuit with three supporters. “In our view, however, the decree of the mayor of Leuven is absolutely disproportionate. It overrides fundamental rights and is contrary to both the European idea and the idea of Uefa to hold competitions across national borders,” said Zingler according to the announcement.
Despite the ban, some followers have traveled to Belgium
Belgium’s highest administrative court is due to make a decision on Thursday. Union had previously had to advise its fans against the trip, willy-nilly. Nevertheless, some of them had arrived in the region on Wednesday evening. According to reports from social media, some of them had already set off on Tuesday.
In terms of sport, Urs Fischer’s team is on top: the disappointing defeat at Bochum, bottom of the league at the time, was followed by a work win against Braga and an emotional tour de force against Mönchengladbach. The team didn’t notice several English weeks in their legs.
The improved breadth of the squad also paid off. After a tough 60 minutes, Fischer was able to follow suit. Jamie Leweling and Kevin Behrens advertised themselves properly. “The fans dream, but we don’t talk about it. We just step on the gas,” said goal scorer Behrens.
In addition, the end of the hardships is in sight: There are still four games for the Köpenickers before the World Cup break. With all humility, no one would complain to the Irons, as Bundesliga leaders and with progress in the Europa League as an early gift to go on Christmas vacation.
Getting ahead in your own hands
The disappointing 0-1 in the first leg, the Europa League premiere in the Alte Försterei, want to make up for the Köpenicker. “We weren’t ready for the task in the first game,” admitted Fischer. “We gave away the first half. That mustn’t happen to us a second time.” The Belgian runners-up are in excellent shape and unbeaten in eleven competitive games – but they’re certainly first in the group.
In Leuven, the Berliners have their fate in their own hands. After two losses at the start and three consecutive wins in a row, they are second in Group D. With nine points, the Bundesliga soccer club is two points ahead of Braga.
A win over Saint-Gilloise and Union puts them in the knockout stages with a chance of a particularly attractive opponent. On the other hand, if they draw or lose in Leuven, Braga are unlikely to win against bottom-placed Malmö FF who have no points. Otherwise, the Köpenicker would continue in the new year in the Conference League.
