By Dennis Zaremba, reporting from Nice
Fan travel issues dampen Freiburg’s spirits.
On Thursday night at the Stade de Nice, isolated chants were heard from the away fans, but there was no organized support. This was due to incidents that also affected coach Julian Schuster.
It could have been a perfect European night for SC Freiburg. Julian Schuster’s team triumphed 3-1 in Nice, climbing to second place in the league standings with their third win in four Europa League matches. However, the coach’s spirits were low after the game.
Independent travel arrangements and fan apparel were not permitted. The reason was the situation of the approximately 1,500 SC Freiburg fans who had traveled to the match. Long before the match, they had to comply with several restrictions imposed by the Nice authorities to prevent incidents similar to those that occurred in the past. For example, in September 2022, serious riots broke out during a Conference League match between 1. FC Köln and Nice.
Due to official regulations, SC Freiburg initially only issued vouchers to ticket buyers, which had to be exchanged in person for tickets at the designated meeting point, the Albert 1er Garden, in the city center, about 11 kilometers from the stadium. From there, Freiburg fans had to travel together to the stadium on shuttle buses. “Going directly to the stadium is prohibited,” SC Freiburg explained on its website.
Furthermore, fans were only allowed to wear club clothing at the Albert 1er Garden and inside the stadium. Freiburg supporters were asked to conceal their clothing while traveling to and from these locations. “Anything else carries the risk of clashes with Nice fans, especially at night,” Freiburg’s press release stated.
Shuttle Problems
The ban, which Freiburg residents only partially respected as they strolled through the city that afternoon, caused no problems. However, issues arose later when traveling on the shuttle buses from the Albert 1er Garden to the Stade de Nice. Some fans were reportedly trapped on the buses for over an hour and a half without being allowed to use the restroom.
Upon arrival at the stadium, disturbances apparently broke out due to significant delays in entry. Police reportedly used batons. Eventually, all the fans managed to enter the stadium, but they chose not to provide organized support.
Schuster: “That makes me feel something.”
SC Freiburg did not issue an official statement on Thursday evening regarding the situation, which is reminiscent of the incident involving Bayern Munich fans in Paris two days earlier. However, manager Julian Schuster didn’t hide the fact that the incidents had affected him considerably after the away win. “It really upsets me to hear about something like this. We’re very grateful to be able to travel internationally. It means a lot to us as a club and, of course, to the fans. These are things you don’t want to hear,” explained the manager, who received the messages after the match.
“I think it’s important—and this always applies to both sides—that we, as visitors, behave respectfully in the other country. On the other hand, it’s natural that we expect to find safety. From what I understand, this simply wasn’t guaranteed,” explained Schuster, who spoke of conditions that “must be absolutely condemned.” He added: “You know what it’s like when the bus is full and it’s sunny. Not being able to get off, not having fresh air, and not being able to use the bathroom… nobody would wish that on anyone.”
“We want the fans to know that we’re thinking of them.” – Julian Schuster
After the match, at least the visiting fans were allowed to leave the stadium promptly. Initially, a partial stadium closure for 60 minutes had been announced. “The fans should know that we were thinking of them. We even wanted to go out and welcome them together, but luckily they were allowed to leave early,” Schuster said. “I hope they get home safely.”
