Heads up, Sporting! Clash with Athletic brings trouble after UEFA ruling | OneFootball

The Athletic Bilbao - Sporting match, which will close the league phase of the Champions League journey for the Lions, has been classified by UEFA as a high-risk game and, as such, security measures will be extremely tight. The aim is to keep Sporting fans away from the venue and prevent the Basque supporters from welcoming Athletic.

Sporting was banned from selling tickets for Wednesday’s match as a punishment from UEFA (due to incidents in Munich), but even so, several dozen Sporting fans managed to purchase tickets through alternative means. As a result, it is already possible to spot several Portuguese fans in the city, strolling around with green and white scarves, eager to attend the match.

The authorities have been alerted and, accordingly, will set up an extensive security perimeter around San Mamés to try to prevent the presence of the club’s supporters as much as possible. It should be noted that the 2,500 tickets initially reserved for Sporting’s section were sold to Basque fans.

These security measures also end up affecting Athletic Bilbao, which will not be entitled to the usual reception from their supporters. Due to the expanded perimeter, the Basque fans will also be prevented from gathering in groups near the stadium, as they usually do. This decision has not been well received in Bilbao by the Spanish ultras, who promise to do everything they can to break through the security cordon.

It should be remembered that Sporting will take the field this Wednesday, January 28, against the Basques. The match, counting for the eighth and final round of the Champions League, against the team led by Ernesto Valverde, will be played at 8:00 PM at San Mamés.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.