AMSTERDAM : The city of Amsterdam, still traumatized by violence between Israeli soccer fans and pro-Palestinian protesters, said on Tuesday no travelling fans would be allowed at Ajax Amsterdam’s Europa League home game, on Dec. 12, against Italian side Lazio.
“Supporters of Lazio Rome are not welcome in Amsterdam… The risk of extreme-right, antisemitic, racist expressions and disturbances is too high,” the municipality said in a statement.
Supporters of Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv were attacked in the early hours of Nov. 8 following a Europa League match with Ajax. Among dozens of Israeli supporters who were chased and assaulted, five suffered injuries needing hospital treatment, police said.
Lazio have been fined in the past for racist or antisemitic behaviour from some of their fans. In September, several of those were banned from attending their Europa League match against Dynamo Kyiv in Hamburg after German police seized weapons from them.
In March, an Italian fan was arrested in Munich for performing an Adolf Hitler salute before a Lazio match against Bayern Munich.
“Some supporters of Lazio are known for their extreme right and fascist sympathies as well as for their antisemitic and racist expressions,” the city of Amsterdam said.
“On Nov 7 & 8, Amsterdam was spooked by the fierce violent incidents surrounding the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer game (…) There’s no room for expressions of racism and fascism in Amsterdam.”
Contacted by Reuters, Lazio have not replied to a request for comment on the decision.
