Europa League: OM & Benfica appeal to authorities to allow visiting fans for their 2 quarter-finals

"SL Benfica (Ligue 1 Uber Eats) and Olympique de Marseille (Liga Portugal Betclic) are calling on the authorities from both countries to ensure that the UEFA Europa League quarter-final matches are played in the presence of both clubs' fans," they announced in a joint press release published on 07/04/2024.

"Together with UEFA and the authorities, the two clubs are working closely to meet all the criteria and guarantee the highest organisational safety standards," said OM and Benfica. The two clubs will face each other in the first leg at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon (POR) on Thursday 11/04 before playing the second leg at the Orange Vélodrome in Marseille (FRA) on Thursday 18/04/2024.

Although no travel ban on visiting supporters has been announced as of 08/04/2024, the French regional daily La Provence reported on 05/04/2024 that the Bouches-du-Rhône Prefecture was preparing to issue an order banning Lisbon supporters from entering the Marseille stadium. The decision was prompted by the announcement that 3,500 Portuguese fans (the maximum authorised limit) would be attending the…