Union Fan Scene and UEFA Meet

Prior to 1. FC Union Berlin’s Champions League match against SSC Napoli on 24 October 2023, representatives of the organised fan scene of 1. FC Union Berlin met with Giorgio Marchetti, Deputy General Secretary of UEFA, and Tobias Hedtstück, Head of Club Competitions & Calendar, for an open and constructive discussion. The meeting was initiated at the request of UEFA to discuss the recent protest banners from the match against Braga and other fan issues.

The meeting took place in a respectful and friendly atmosphere, with both sides taking the opportunity to explain their views or detail their concerns. The supporters’ representatives explained that the protest banners during the match against Braga were an expression of concern and frustration about some developments in European football in general and about the infrastructure requirements in UEFA competitions in particular.

They stressed that fans are an important part of football and should have a voice in decision-making processes on fan issues.

Marchetti and Hedtstück listened carefully to the fan representatives’ arguments and assured them that UEFA took their concerns seriously and wanted to take the fan perspective into account when making important decisions. They also stressed the importance of open communication and cooperation between fans and football associations in order to find common solutions. To this end, they are seeking exchanges with fans and supporters’ associations, especially Football Supporters Europe.

During the meeting, various topics were discussed, including the infrastructure requirements of stadiums for UEFA matches and fan issues related to away matches.