Celtic's Europa League rivals punished after 'lunatic asylum' pyro stunt as UEFA hit them in pocket with fans impacted
Eredivisie giants hit with severe punishment amid fan disorder during recent Europa League clash against Panathinaikos
UEFA have confirmed the partial closure of the stand that houses Feyenoord’s most passionate fans in De Kuip for their Europa League clash with Celtic later this month.
The European governing body have also slapped the Dutch giants with a hefty £76,000 fine after supporters let off fireworks during a recent league phase match against Panathinaikos, accompanied by a massive banner that read: “Welcome to our lunatic asylum’.
Martin O’Neill’s side are due to face the Eredivisie outfit in the Netherlands on November 27th in what will be a vital match for the Hoops in their quest to reach the knock-out phase of the competition.
Celtic currently have four points to their name and will need to pick up at least two victories from their remaining four fixtures to stand any chance of progressing in Europe’s second-tier tournament.
But hosts Feyenoord have now been forced into a partial stadium closure of their iconic and intimidating venue - meaning it will almost certainly be at less than capacity for the visit of the Scottish champions.
The Rotterdam-based club were already on a suspended sentence from UEFA for a similar offence that occurred against Bayern Munich this year and were warned that a repeat within the next two years would result in further sanctions.
That has now come to fruition with the entire Gerard Meijer tribune section - occupied by ultras group the S.C.F. Hooligans - due to be closed off for their upcoming two matches against Celtic and Sturm Graz.
A club statement released last week read: “Feyenoord has been handed a heavy penalty by UEFA following its Europa League match against Panathinaikos FC. This means that during the upcoming home matches in the Europa League against Celtic and Sturm Graz, the entire Gerard Meijer Tribune must remain empty (UEFA has worded this in the ruling as: ‘the partial closure of Feyenoord’s stadium (i.e., the Gerard Meijer Tribune).’
“The penalty for the closure of the Gerard Meijer Tribune, imposed due to the setting off of fireworks by supporters, follows a previous suspended sanction after the Champions League home match against FC Bayern Munich last season, which has now been converted into an actual sanction. An additional penalty for the closure of the Gerard Meijer Tribune during another UEFA-related home match has also been included in the UEFA ruling.
“Finally, Feyenoord has been fined €88,000, of which €60,000 for setting off fireworks by supporters and €28,000 for blocking steps. Feyenoord will further study the ruling, the facts, and the background and will then deliberate. More information will follow.”