After 24 years, Uefa is again allowing standing room in the European Cup

The European football union Uefa will again allow standing room tickets to be sold in the coming European Cup season after decades.

After 24 years, Uefa is again allowing standing room in the European Cup

The European football union Uefa will again allow standing room tickets to be sold in the coming European Cup season after decades. In Germany, France and England, fans can watch Champions League, Europa League and Conference League games “in accordance with national and local legislation”, the European governing body said on Wednesday. Excluded are the respective finals, which are not held in the three countries anyway.

The ARD "Sportschau" had previously reported on the decision of the Uefa Executive Committee, which initially applies to one season. Uefa's standing room ban was announced in 1998. This was preceded by the stadium disasters in Heysel (Belgium) in 1985 with 35 deaths and Hillsborough (England) with 97 deaths.

This could also allow the German stadiums of the eight European Cup clubs FC Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig (Champions League), Union Berlin, SC Freiburg (Europa League) and 1. FC Cologne (Conference League) to return utilize their full capacity.

"That's great news," said BVB Managing Director Hans-Joachim Watzke. “Standing places are an important part of our football culture. In recent years, Borussia Dortmund has been working intensively behind the scenes to allow standing room grandstands in international competitions. I ask all fans to use this opportunity responsibly next season.”

The difference becomes clear using the example of Dortmund. There, BVB was only allowed to equip the south stand, on which 25,000 fans normally stand, with seats in recent years in the European Cup. As a result, instead of 81,365 fans - as in the Bundesliga - only 66,099 supporters could come to the Dortmund stadium for international games.

The Spanish and Italian clubs were also offered to take part in the test, although there is generally no standing room in the arenas in the two holiday countries.

"UEFA will commission independent experts to analyze the use of standing room at national and international club games in these countries in order to assess the different dynamics between national and international fans and the associated safety implications," said Uefa. At the end of the 2022/23 season, the test phase will be evaluated.