Unrest in the stands at Lens vs PSV | OneFootball

PSV Eindhoven faced Lens of France on Tuesday evening in their Champions League group stage match, the game ended 1-1 with the Dutch side now sitting bottom of the Group B table after three games. However the game itself was clouded due to the actions of supporters in the city and in the stands. During the second half of the match the tension between both sets of fans grew to a boiling point, Rik Elfrink of the Eindhoven’s Dagblad reported that PSV supporters threw chairs from of their section of seating towards the Lens supporters, this led to retaliation from the Lens supporters who began throwing objects of their own back at the PSV supporters. French riot police was forced to intervene in order to quell the aggression between the fans.

The French police reported that they counted two thousand travelling PSV supporters. Before the game the police were on hand in the city centre as a small number of the supporters began rioting in the central area of Lens before making their way to the Bollaert-Delelis stadium. More violence was reported outside the stadium as French police used tear gas and batons in response to the PSV supporters.

A spokesperson of PSV reports they are ‘deeply ashamed’ of the events and that the club is ‘working on the investigation in collaboration with the French authorities.’ PSV captain Luuk de Jong also condemned the aggressive nature of the supporters, pointing out that ‘it is a small group that does that, they ruin it for the others‘. De Jong also pointed out the potential negative implication upon the players themselves if PSV are not able able to have fans in the stadium due to the actions of a minority of supporters.

It would not be the first time that PSV are under investigation by UEFA. Last year during a Europa League game against Arsenal, PSV fans were found to have caused destruction to the stadium as well as throwing objects at the Arsenal supporters. UEFA took action against PSV by not allowing supporters to travel to their next away game. It is yet to be seen the punishment that PSV Eindhoven will face, but the club will hope they will be able to keep supporters in the stands for their vital next game against Lens at home in round four of the Champions League.

GBeNeFN | Max Mumford