Opinion – UEFA needs to treat away fans better

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Just Arsenal News

·22 January 2026

Opinion – UEFA needs to treat away fans better

Despite Arsenal maintaining a perfect record in the Champions League this season, many Gooners have returned from European away trips with concerns about their matchday experience. Complaints following the fixture against Inter Milan have highlighted issues that go beyond results on the pitch and instead focus on supporter treatment and stadium arrangements.

Safety procedures versus supporter experience

Several travelling fans have pointed to being escorted to the away section under heavy security and then being required to remain in place after the final whistle until the home crowd has dispersed. While this practice is common across European football, it has still caused frustration. Every supporter has the right to feel safe inside a stadium, and protective measures, including netting, are often a response to past incidents involving missiles being thrown. In that context, safety must always take priority over an uninterrupted view from a seat.

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Recent examples of crowd disorder elsewhere, including fans throwing chairs at each other during what was meant to be a celebration of African football, underline why such precautions exist. Inter Milan, along with AC Milan, may also have legitimate health and safety reasons for positioning away fans high in the stadium. If this layout allows stewards to better manage risk, then it is understandable that it takes precedence over comfort.

(Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Fairness, atmosphere and UEFA responsibility

However, problems arise when safety measures appear to drift into competitive advantage. Reports of away fans being delayed entry until kick off, then required to locate seats far from the pitch, inevitably affect the atmosphere. In elite football, marginal gains matter, and diminishing away support can influence the overall feel of a tie.

Supporters pay significant sums to follow their teams and are entitled to a reasonable standard. While fans will accept poor views at older grounds due to structural limitations, frustration grows when arrangements seem designed to favour the home side. English clubs are not without blame either, with some long criticised for marginalising away support.

UEFA has a responsibility to ensure fairness across all ties. In two-legged knockout football, even supporter treatment can play a role. Arsenal are widely regarded as acting with class, and the Emirates offers few genuinely poor seats. Perhaps it is time for football’s governing bodies to examine whether away fan arrangements truly strike the right balance between safety, fairness and respect.

Dan Smith

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