As Celtic fans are “targeted” in Zagreb, should UEFA consider incidents outside grounds?

One of the problems with strict liability, in terms of UEFA, is the things it doesn’t do and the situations it leaves unaddressed. I understand why there’s a problem with extending strict liability. But events in certain European cities over the years have made many think that perhaps it really ought to be.

My thinking on this goes back to the Manchester riot involving Rangers.

There’s no question whatsoever that their fans misbehaved to a scandalous degree, causing colossal damage to the city and their own reputation. Everyone knows what happened. Everyone knows who was involved. Even the Scottish media’s attempts to spin it as the work of outside elements—Chelsea fans or whatever—have been largely forgotten by history.

Because even back then, the effort to put the blame on someone else was half-hearted, as footage clearly showed people in Rangers tops fighting with police.

The responsibility of their supporters for that incident is a historical fact. Everyone knows they brought large numbers of fans to that city, rioted, caused mayhem, fought with each other, fought with locals, and fought with police. Despite this, UEFA did nothing to punish the club.

Why? Because it all happened outside the ground.

If a handful of those fans fighting pitched battles in Manchester’s streets had been inside the stadium throwing things at police, that club would have been hammered with real and genuine force. But it didn’t happen in the stadium; and so they got a free pass.

Every now and again, there’s a major incident of this sort outside a ground. These incidents leave fans hurt—sometimes quite badly—and UEFA can’t do a damn thing about it because it doesn’t happen on their doorstep.

I’m writing this as reports come in—in little dribs and drabs—about some issues our fans have experienced in Zagreb.

I don’t know what Zagreb’s reputation as a football city is, but I know the reputation of our away support. I’ve been with them several times for European games. If our fans caused whatever problems are happening there, it would be the first I’ve heard of us doing that.

The club is clearly concerned for the safety of our supporters and has issued notices advising fans to be careful: travel in groups, congregate in areas where other fans are gathered, and avoid getting isolated. That doesn’t suggest to me that Zagreb is a particularly safe environment for away supporters. Maybe that’s limited to this trip. Maybe it has something to do with us—although I can’t think of any possible beef Zagreb fans could have with ours.

Or maybe they have a notorious hooligan element.

Either way, there’s an argument for saying that if the problems are proven to be football-related—and I stress proven—then UEFA should not simply stand aside and do nothing because it happened outside the ground. For too long, UEFA has focused on stuff like pyro, banners, and other issues some regard as frivolous. Not all of those issues are frivolous, but the focus on them allows seriously unsafe environments to exist in the surrounding areas of stadiums.

These issues often arise in connection with certain clubs, but UEFA struggles to hold them accountable due to the complexities involved.

We know there are European clubs with well-known, established hooligan elements who frequently target away fans. This is just a fact. UEFA doubtless has a list of these clubs. Such information would be necessary to plan security inside stadiums. Some clubs’ fans represent a lesser risk; others represent a greater risk.

One way to establish that is through the reputation of those fans and how they behave outside the stadium. Local police provide this information, enabling UEFA to categorise certain fixtures and stadiums as high-risk.

So, I’m moved to ask: shouldn’t UEFA take this much more seriously than it appears to do? Isn’t it time UEFA started compiling data on these kinds of incidents outside fixtures and considered their response if clear patterns emerge?

The notion that it’s “nothing to do with them” because it doesn’t happen in stadiums is unsustainable. UEFA cannot abandon travelling supporters to whatever fate serves up to them and still pretend to be a responsible governing body.

Our second podcast is up and live now folks; we’re calling this one The Team Effort, in recognition of what makes this Celtic side particularly good.