Created: 03/15/2023 12:57 p.m
From: Christopher Klaucke
Split
Eintracht Frankfurt is visiting Naples in the Champions League on Wednesday. Concern about the fans who have traveled with them is growing. The situation escalated the evening before the game.
Update from March 15, 12:10 p.m.: Despite a ban on ticket sales for football fans from Frankfurt, hundreds of Eintracht supporters traveled to Naples for the second leg of the Champions League round of 16. The first incident occurred on the evening before the game: unknown persons fired flares at buses in which the German fans were being driven through the city to their hotel. According to local media reports, these were Naples ultras who were ambushing the rival Frankfurters. As could be seen on an amateur video, the buses were able to continue.
The tension in the city before the game on (today) Wednesday evening (9 p.m. / DAZN) was enormous. Around 800 police, carabinieri and special units were scheduled to prevent riots, as reported by the Ansa news agency. After clashes and attacks against Italian fans in the first leg in Frankfurt, revenge is now feared.
Naples ultras shoot flares at Eintracht fans’ buses
The Prefecture of Naples had forbidden fans from Frankfurt to come to the stadium and canceled their tickets. Eintracht reacted with outrage and completely waived their contingent of away tickets. She also called on her followers not to travel to Naples.
Despite the appeal, hundreds of Frankfurters arrived in the city on Vesuvius on Tuesday. Most traveled by train. Amateur video shows supporters dressed in black arriving at Naples train station and chanting battle cries. The police received the supporters and registered each one before the fans were driven away in buses. Among them were reportedly ultras and hooligans from Atalanta Bergamo, considered hostile to Napoli supporters.
“We clearly advise against”: Eintracht Frankfurt is worried about fans in Naples
First report from March 15, 11:20 a.m.: Frankfurt/Naples – Concerns about the safety of Eintracht Frankfurt fans in Naples are taking on dramatic forms. Sporting moves into the background before the round of 16 second leg in the Champions League (first leg: 0:2) of the SGE against Napoli. The Hessians strongly advise against traveling to the southern Italian city. Nevertheless, there are already several hundred Eintracht supporters and Ultras in Naples.
Frankfurters in Naples should not identify themselves as Eintracht fans
The Frankfurt fan support makes an urgent appeal to all Eintracht fans. A post on Facebook strongly advises against “staying in Naples around the day of the match and in particular identifying yourself as a fan of Eintracht Frankfurt. Above all, the area around the stadium should be avoided as a matter of urgency.”
The security situation, which was precarious from the start, has worsened as a result of the developments of the past few days. After a legal stalemate, the Italian authorities had banned the sale of tickets to people from Frankfurt/Main, and Eintracht then waived the entire contingent of guests.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s big worries about fans in Naples
Many Eintracht fans still don’t want to miss the trip to Naples and want to support their team on site, even if they don’t have tickets for the stadium. “We also clearly advise against the undertaking of wanting to watch the game in a pub in Naples,” said Eintracht Frankfurt fan relations.
In addition, it warns that “the Italian police act very restrictively and intervene quickly and with all severity in the event of violations of the law. It is therefore advisable to behave calmly and respectfully towards the police.” Eintracht Frankfurt has legal advice for emergencies on site. In urgent cases, you can contact fan support, which can be reached in Naples until Thursday.
- 1. Marc Francis (+49 160 90589345)
- 2. Julian Schneider (+49 151 11802725)
- 3. Nadine Kramer (+49 160 91014607)
400 Eintracht Ultras in Naples – charter flight with 180 passengers expected from Frankfurt
“We don’t worry about security in the stadium. We worry about what might happen in the city,” said Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi. “There will be an atmosphere there where people look out for Frankfurt fans. We expect a tense situation in the city,” warned Eintracht board member Philipp Reschke. “I can only advise everyone not to go there. Anyone who is there should definitely not be conspicuous or provocative.”
As several media reports, up to 400 ultras from Hessen arrived at the city’s main train station on Tuesday evening and were taken to their hotel with police escort. Loud Corriere dello Sport 500 German fans have been checked since Tuesday, so a charter flight with 180 passengers from Frankfurt is expected at Capodichino Airport before the game on Wednesday (9 p.m. / DAZN) at SSC Naples.
“Our hospital is rather small”: Naples fans warn Frankfurter
Mr reported, citing eyewitnesses, of “larger groups of Napoli supporters” who were “partially armed” in the city. There were several injuries from knife attacks during Liverpool’s away games in September and Ajax Amsterdam last October in Naples. Six Dutch fans, some of whom were not involved, ended up in hospital with serious stab wounds.
“Our hospital is rather small,” said a member of the Neapolitan ultra group “Sud 1999” to the football magazine shortly after the draw 11 friends. He recommended that Eintracht arrive with as few fans as possible. Under all these circumstances, ZDF legend and Eintracht fan Béla Réthy is unlikely to start his planned “folklore” trip to Naples. (ck)
