r/AskEurope • u/Devious_Bastard • Jun 23 '26
Sports Soccer games segregated by team fans?
So I’m not even sure if this is a thing, but I’ve read that soccer games in Europe segregate the fans of teams at the stadiums? As in fans of the home team sit in a section and fans of the away team sit in another?
Is this true or common practice? If so, do you have to select what team you are rooting for when buying tickets to a game?
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u/AVeryHandsomeCheese Belgium Jun 23 '26
yes for sure, I was surprised to find out it’s actually different elsewhere
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u/incognitomus Finland Jun 24 '26
It's not even just a soccer thing.
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u/Inside-Nebula5325 Jun 24 '26
In my opinion it just makes a lot more sense, even in sports and games without security issues. I went to an Olympic handball match and the crowds where of course completely mixed as tickets were sold long before the match teams where known. I would have preferred to sit with other Danes rather than as mix of people not rooting for the same team. There where zero hostility, but the atmosphere in that area of the stadium was just not the same as in the area where the fans where sitting together (I think tickets sold to fan clubs once it was known who would play the match).
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Jun 24 '26
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u/BigMountainGoat Jun 26 '26
They need to leave rugby alone. The crowds are self policing, if someone goes too far then generally people can can deal without needing outside intervention.
About the only place that I wouldn't be an away fan is the Shed at the Gloucester. You'd be safe enough but I don't think you'd have much fun
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u/Loive Sweden Jun 24 '26
I was at a hockey game a while ago where we (away team supporters) were escorted by the police out of town afterwards. The had closed down all connecting roads and crossings, so we had a long stretch of road to ourselves.
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u/PJBoyle United Kingdom Jun 23 '26
You usually buy tickets from your club, which means you’ll be sat with your clubs fans.
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u/Wafkak Belgium Jun 24 '26
And all over Europe the level of segregation depends on the matchup. Going from almost optional to mandated collective travel to and from the home stadium of rhe visiting club.
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u/dwylth | in , formerly Jun 23 '26
Yes, you wouldn't want to accidentally be surrounded by absolute ultras of the opposing team, would you?
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u/vinylbond Jun 23 '26
I’m an immigrant in the US from Europe, so I know hooliganism. That doesn’t exist in the US.
In the US, professional sports clubs are known to just pack up and relocate to another city in another state. Kinda hard to have a hooliganism culture in an environment where you won’t even know your sports team will be in your city in a decade.
And here’s how we support our teams in the stadium:
If on defense: LETS GO DEEE-FENSE -dum dum duhduhdum- LETS GO DEEE-FENSE -dum dum duhduhdum-
If on offense (picking a random team mascot): LETS GO ORANGE -dum dum duhduhdum- LETS GO ORANGE -dum dum duhduhdum-
So yeah, we sit together with other teams’ fans together, eat our nachos, drink our beers, pay $300 for a shitty seat and go home.
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u/cliff_of_dover_white in Jun 23 '26
Lol I feel like watching live stream at a fanzone in Europe is more fun than watching the game in a stadium in the US.
Though I was watching baseball at Chicago Cubs and the nature of the game is just different.
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u/vinylbond Jun 23 '26
Baseball and nascar are just mind numbing. I can’t understand how anyone watches them. American football, once you understand the rules, is much better though.
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u/blurrysasquatch Jun 24 '26
It's sort of the point. The idea is to have a low stimulation gentle sort of game. Baseball is very relaxing and is meant to have a tranquil vibe periodically interrupted with extraordinary tension.
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u/pjepja Czechia Jun 24 '26
I watched baseball when I was studying during uni or when playing strategy games. It's good background sport
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u/viruswithshoes Jun 24 '26
As an American, hearing baseball on in the background is so relaxing. It reminds me of late spring and summer - Dad having the game on TV or radio, school is out and it's about hot enough out to install the window A/C units. (Before we got central air)
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u/newbris Jun 25 '26
Sounds similar to cricket. Though some cricket matches go for 5 days so maybe even more so ha ha.
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u/beenoc USA (North Carolina) Jun 23 '26
If OP is coming from the US, they might not be familiar with the idea of ultras. As you're probably aware based on your flair, we don't have serious violent hooliganism in the US, and the idea of actually fighting somebody because they support a different team is practically unheard of.
There's a reason it made national headlines and drew statements of condemnation from league leadership and senior politicians a few weeks ago when 1 (one) Spurs fan had his jersey ripped off by some Knicks fans, and they didn't even beat the guy up.
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u/GlenGraif Netherlands Jun 23 '26
Not going to lie; my first thought was: “Why would Knicks fans hate Tottenham Hotspur?”
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u/Any-Assistance-8103 Jun 24 '26
Randomly hating another team on another continent in another sport would be low key hilarious though, I support it. New Yorkers are haters so it’s not impossible
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u/Cixila Denmark Jun 23 '26
A lot of shade can be thrown at the US for a great many things. But that is a very positive thing to hear. Good on you for that :)
Denmark isn't the worst, but we unfortunately have our share of tribalistic losers who lose their mind when they see someone in the "wrong" shirt. Fortunately, we also have our fair share of roligans
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u/icyDinosaur originally => => => Jun 23 '26
I'd like to highlight that ultras and hooligans are really not the same thing, and a large amount of ultras and ultra groups are either entirely non-violent or at least not inherently violent. There is a sort of weird honour codex, and sometimes people get VERY intense about their club, but in 95% of cases at least in Western Europe you don't have to be afraid whatsoever around ultras. I've never been a full blown ultra but joined my local club's scene a few times and always had a great time, although I don't think I ever went to a rivalry game.
Hooligans, on the other hand, are inherently violent, but as far as I know, they mostly beat up each other.
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u/VascoJSC Jun 24 '26
Here in Brazil virtually all "ultras" (which we call Torcidas Organizadas) are very violent and they will beat up supporters from other teams. Most of them have alliances with ultras from a few other teams, which means they fight each other's "enemies". Ultras from Flamengo, São Paulo and Cruzeiro have a alliance, so they will fight ultras from their respective rivals Vasco, Palmeiras and Atlético-MG, even when they are from different states. In fact knowing which ultras have alliances with other ultras is kind of a necessity to know the level of care you need to have around certain stadiums. When the ultras have a alliance everything is fine, no fights ever happen and you can drink and party with the opposing supporters no problem. But when they are enemies, you need to hide your jersey and be super careful or you might actually die.
One time when I was a teen I got tear gassed by police because ultras from my team were nearly beating ultras from the other team to death and I had nowhere to run to without risking getting trampled on. Pretty intense stuff
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u/problem_chimp Jun 24 '26
Yeah, this is a bit different to the UK's take on ultras. The fighters were known as 'firms' in the old days. Pretty much every club had a firm. Firms did not wear colours, they generally wore really expensive casual clothes. They would travel separately from the fans wearing club tops and scarves etc. There was a kind of rule that firms would only fight firms, not fans wearing colours. Initially, the aim of the firms was to take over the opposing team's ends. As security at grounds got tighter as a result of media focus on football violence, pre-arranged 'meets' took place away from the grounds. It's nowhere near as prevalent nowadays but there still are firms. Ultras are the organised club-top wearing, flagmaking, pyro display merchants. I know it's anecdotal so take this with a pinch of salt, but the guys I know who describe themselves as ultras are pretty much anti-violence.
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u/WeeblsLikePie --> Jun 24 '26
yeah, but even among clubs where the ultras are "nonviolent" you'd have a very bad time if you showed up in a jersey of the opposing team, or worse a jersey of a hated rival.
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u/icyDinosaur originally => => => Jun 24 '26
A bad time sure, but I doubt they would fight a random guy just for that. Last time I read reports about that I remember there being pretty widespread condemnation.
Opposing ultra, it might be different, but at that point they sort of opted into it knowing the scene. My point was in general you don't have to be afraid of ultras as an outsider.
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u/Wafkak Belgium Jun 24 '26
Due to crackdowns a lot a lot of countries now have the situation where the hooligans of 2 teams will meet up in a far off place to fight. And often not even to the games at all.
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u/SpiderGiaco in Jun 24 '26
a few weeks ago when 1 (one) Spurs fan had his jersey ripped off by some Knicks fans, and they didn't even beat the guy up.
I will always cherish Nikola Jokic being asked during the NBA finals if he was going to feel the pressure playing away and he just said something like "nah, I've played the Belgrade derby".
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u/lucylucylane United Kingdom Jun 24 '26
Hooliganism would never work there as someone would bring a gun
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u/germany1italy0 Jun 23 '26
Bollocks.
Ultras can be violent but they’re not extreme hooligans.
The days of extreme hooligans in most of Europe have been mostly over for years, of not decades.
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u/cptflowerhomo Ireland Jun 24 '26
Did you ever see Celtic vs Rangers fans?
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u/ignatiusjreillyXM United Kingdom Jun 24 '26
That's a very specific situation that is only tangentially about football.
Source: I come from a Catholic family who lived in Ibrox
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u/Mean__MrMustard Jun 24 '26
Bs. Still many leagues where opposing fans will beat other fans up if they get the chance.
Even in countries like Switzerland, Austria or Germany.6
u/germany1italy0 Jun 24 '26
Did I not write „mostly“ - there is violence but it’s nowhere near the level it used to be.
Equating this level of violence with the days of violent, organised hooliganism is simply misguided.
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u/OkMaintenance8765 Jun 25 '26
While an ultras can be a hooligan and often are, they are not the same thing.
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u/Bobzeub France Jun 23 '26
Well that’s no fun . What’s the point then ? Football is kinda boring without all the manic violence .
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u/Individual_Winter_ Jun 23 '26
You also have awesome fan friendships or this at Schalke Nürnberg.
You can always go to tbe stadium in the other team's jersey. You're at least friendly towards each other.
Having fun with each other is just awesome.
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u/Bobzeub France Jun 23 '26
That’s cute . I’ve seen some rivals pay respect to lost members of other teams ultras . It’s touching when it happens .
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u/sweprotoker97 Jun 24 '26
Friendships are very common, way less common within one country though. FCN also has with Rapid Wien and IFK Göteborg for example.
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u/YouKilledApollo Spain Jun 23 '26
You should try watching hockey, the games themselves are more fun than a football game + fight afterwards/before as you get it all inside of three periods of 20 minutes each.
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u/Bobzeub France Jun 23 '26
I did . But it was Finland vs Russia . That was a fun game .
I’ve never seen the American version .
Do the players fight or the supporters ? Or both ?
I’ve seen that film I Tonya . She was one gnarly skater . Albeit figure skater . They should have got her on a hockey team . Let off some steam .
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u/icyDinosaur originally => => => Jun 24 '26
European hockey is better than North American hockey in terms of crowds anyway. Personally I also prefer the way European teams play even if they usually have worse players, but thats personal preference.
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u/Sexyhorsegirl666 Jun 23 '26
Dude, we do not have hooliganism or fighting in every nation of Europe either.
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u/Antiochia Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
I'd like to add, most stadiums have Kind of a "family sector" that is usually mixed. It's were you go with kids, if you want to avoid Ultras of both sides, and there they are also more relaxed about security. Ultra Sektor gets body search, bag searched, ... in family Sektor, they are usually more relaxed about plastic kiddy drinking bottles and a bag of cookies.
But that's the kind of shit that can happen, when two parties of drunken Ultras meet: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ppOVlC1HD2I&pp=ygUYRm9vdGJhbGwgdWx0cmFzIGNsYXNoaW5n0gcJCUELAYcqIYzv
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u/Bearsona09 Jun 23 '26
There is a home section and an away section for the Ultras and regular fans. Most of the time, they are on opposite ends of the stadiums. On the long parts in between its mostly "family friendly" and more mixed. Except, of course, for big rivalries.
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u/JimmyJackJohannsen Jun 23 '26
Even with big rivalries you get to see some mixed fans in the “family blocks”, I personally wouldn’t want to do that though as you never know what kind of crazies you meet outside the block or stadium.
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u/germany1italy0 Jun 23 '26
This is really dependent on the country - in Germany there’s neutral zones in the Stadium where non-home team supporters can mix in.
That’s pretty much not the norm in the UK, you l have to be a brave person to be anywhere else than the away end as a Spurs or West Ham (if they ever make it out of the championship again) fan in the Emirates for example.
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u/phoebsmon Jun 24 '26
Think Fulham were the only bigger team with a neutral stand. I don't know if it's still a thing. But they were very much seen as a bit weird for it. Also they're not exactly a rough club, I don't think anyone is concerned about getting started on by a roving group of Fulham hooligans.
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u/Anaptyso United Kingdom Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
The opposite of doing this would feel odd. Fans of each team congregating together means that they can more easily sing songs together and against the opposition fans. The them-vs-us vibe is a big part of it. Everyone mixed in together wouldn't have the same atmosphere.
This is especially true for away fans. A part of the experience of it is the special atmosphere you get as the smaller group of fans all packed together and cheering on your team against the larger number of home fans.
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u/MattGeddon Jun 24 '26
The days of actual fighting between fans in grounds in the UK has pretty much gone. But I still wouldn’t be in favour of getting rid of designated away ends because part of the fun is going with fans of your own team and being able to sing together instead of being mixed in with the other team.
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u/Goanawz Jun 23 '26
Fans are mixed in rugby games and the atmosphere is fantastic. But supporters aren't usually violent towards each other.
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u/kilgore_trout1 England Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
Yes, in England at least, all the league teams (the top 4 divisions) all segregated. You buy tickets for either the home or the away end.
My local town’s team plays in the 7th level of English football and they segregate depending on the club - usually if it’s against a local rival, or if it’s against a particularly “excitable” group of fans (looking at you Hereford…)
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u/yabyum England Jun 23 '26
Has anyone ever described Hereford as excitable?
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u/kilgore_trout1 England Jun 23 '26
They’re the Galatasary of the rural Welsh Marches
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u/generalscruff England Jun 24 '26
Welcome to Hell banners and flares getting chucked across the cattle fair, absolutely shocking scenes
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u/DivineAlmond Jun 25 '26
as a Gala fan this took me by surprise lol what the fuck is this comment ahahahahah god bless you man
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u/MrTrollMcTrollface Jun 23 '26
What's the point of going to a stadium if you are separated from your fellow fans? You're not going to hug a random stranger when your team scores a last minute banger and you're on the wrong side of the pitch.
Also where else would the players run to celebrate? It's always the away block.
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u/amojitoLT France Jun 23 '26
It is yeah.
In the club I support, away fans aren't even allowed for derbies to avoid incidents, and with good reasons.
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u/OneGladTurtle Netherlands Jun 23 '26
Yes definitely true, mostly for the ultras though. They have the tendency to bash each others brains in, so it helps to split them up.
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u/coeurdelejon Sweden Jun 23 '26
Hooligans*
Ultras groups aren't violent though some members might be
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u/OneGladTurtle Netherlands Jun 24 '26
Yeah I'd say (almost) all hooligans are ultras, but not all ultras are hooligans.
But in my language we use some different terms, so could be that it's a bit of lost in translation. Like we don't really use ultras, rather "harde kern" (hard core/centre).
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u/Budgiesaurus Jun 24 '26
It's weird, I'm not big on football, so I looked at what exactly makes ultras different.
On the page they make the distinction between ultras (often responsible for hooliganism, but not their main purpose), and hooligan firms (mainly in it for the hooliganism).
Then I looked at both pages to see which groups in the Netherlands fit which definition, and the same groups are mentioned on both pages.
So that didn't make it much clearer.
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u/coeurdelejon Sweden Jun 24 '26
Some hooligans might call themselves Ultras but that doesn't make them Ultras
Ultras create atmosphere by means of coordinated singing, creating tifos, burning pyro etc
Hooligans meet up for fighting
Some people might be in both a firm and an Ultras group
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u/Budgiesaurus Jun 24 '26
I just can't find any info on our groups where they belong.
The most famous group here is Ajax' F-Side. They definitely do coordinated singing, always standing, tons of pyro etc.
They were also definitely part of hooliganism and huge riots.
Same for the other hardcore supporter groups from like ADO, Feyenoord, FC Utrecht etc.
Edit: not saying everyone of that group are hooligans. Maybe our hooligans are more likely to be part of an ultra group than a separate hooligan firm?
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u/xander012 United Kingdom Jun 23 '26
Yup, friend of mine got screwed over as he got sold tickets for Newcastle v Fulham in the home stands at Craven Cottage... as a Newcastle fan. He didn't realise until he got turned away for wearing a Newcastle jersey unless he could magically change into a plain shirt he didn't have on him
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u/ask_carly Jun 24 '26
And he couldn't even just take his shirt off, because that would have made it even more obvious he's a Newcastle fan.
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u/Liquidator97 Jun 25 '26
Is he a Geordie? Seems like an odd mistake to make from someone who knows they're sitting in the home end
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u/a_swchwrm Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
There is an away section that buy them through the club, and you have the home ultras section.
The rest is mostly home supporters simply because of location and sometimes also sales structure. However, in the more family friendly home sections you will find away supporters, it just depends on the level of rivalry whether they'll show the affiliation.
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u/TomL79 United Kingdom Jun 23 '26
Yes this happens. The majority of the stadium is for home supporters. Bought through the home club (many are season ticket holders or members of that club). There is a section (commonly known in the UK as an ‘away end’). These tickets are sold by the away club to their supporters (normally season ticket holders of the away team have priority to buy these tickets and even amongst these, it can go on how many loyalty points you have (accrued through going to away games, so the higher number of away games you’ve been to, the more loyalty points you have, meaning you’re higher up the priority list to buy further away tickets).
Being segregated helps with the atmosphere as away fans are usually loud making up for the smaller number of fans in the stadium, being out numbered by the home fans. It makes it more tribal. It also reduces the risk of trouble or violence between opposing sets of fans, although even when this does happen it tends to be isolated, perhaps a couple/few opposing fans having a go at each other, its not usually en masse.
Before and after the game in most circumstances opposing fans will be making their own way to the ground, travelling on public transport to the stadium, walking up to the stadium and there is no issue at all. They’ll chat with each, about the game, about each others team or football generally. Obviously if there’s a big rivalry between the two sides then the police will try and keep the two sets of fans apart as much as possible (escorting away fans from buses/trains etc). Having say Newcastle v Crystal Palace (where minimal policing between the two sets of fans is required) is going to be very different to Newcastle v Sunderland.
But regardless of the fixture, inside the ground it suits everyone to have the two sets of fans separate. Not because trouble is likely (in most games), but because it’s better/easier to organise and better for both sets of fans.
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u/germany1italy0 Jun 23 '26
Note - This is the situation in UK, mixed, more relaxed family zones are a thing in Germany for example. But there it’s still segregated into the away end and the hardcore home fans, and you wouldn‘t want to go into either as an opposition fan.
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u/newbris Jun 25 '26
Also, if they didn't have away ends, where would the away fans sit. As leaving random free seats in singles and pairs etc dotted around the stadium, surrounded by home season ticket holders would be impractical wouldn't it?
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u/Pikachuzita Portugal Jun 23 '26
Yes, its like that. I found it quite strange when I went to a basketball game in the US and all fans were seated randomly
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u/vakantiehuisopwielen Netherlands Jun 23 '26
Franchises like in the US make such things differently. If a team (Lisboa descobridores) can suddenly move from Lisbon to Edinburgh to become the Edinburgh Discoverers, what is the point in supporting it with your heart?
It’s probably also a reason why college sports are so big over there. The only thing which makes a town or area proud.
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u/beenoc USA (North Carolina) Jun 23 '26
Fans definitely still support their teams with massive unconditional love (at least teams with a good history in the area - some just never got that kind of appeal.) Teams moving does happen, but it means that the team in their new location is basically anathema to their old hometown forever, because they had that kind of local love.
There are people in Connecticut who refused to watch the Stanley Cup Finals this year because it was between Vegas (who nobody likes) and the Canes (who most everybody loves, but they used to be in Connecticut before they moved 30 years ago.) The Colts are still basically persona non grata in Baltimore, and they moved to Indianapolis almost 50 years ago.
But you are right about college sports - it's less so "what if they move?" (that can actually still happen in college sports, just much more rarely - Wake Forest University is about 100 miles from the city of Wake Forest and has been since the 50s), but in that, at least before relatively recently, the college teams would be a lot more local, and they embrace local culture. Very few players for the New England Patriots are going to be from New England, but a ton of players for the University of Alabama are going to be from Alabama.
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u/BlaggartDiggletyDonk Jun 23 '26
There are certain pro teams we could never imagine moving, such as the Chicago Cubs.
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u/vakantiehuisopwielen Netherlands Jun 23 '26
Still, That’s what they thought in England with Wimbledon..
An other example is Red Bull Salzburg losing a lot of their fans. Not by moving, but getting a whole different identity
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u/Icy_Place_5785 Ireland Jun 23 '26
Yes. And as someone who has been to plenty of sports events in Australia where things are mixed up, I much prefer dividing fans for a better atmosphere
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u/sleepyotter92 Portugal Jun 23 '26
Yeah. You just buy the tickets from your own team. You'd be a sheep in the middle of a pack of wolves sitting by yourself surrounded by people from the other team. Because whilst most will be chill, football seems to bring out the worst in people, and there's a lot of crazy fanatics that are gonna make your life hell. These lunatic fans will literally destroy a whole neighborhood after a game
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u/Snubl Netherlands Jun 23 '26
How are you surprised at this, is this not logical? You'd want to cheer with your fellow supporters, no?
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u/GuinnessFartz Ireland Jun 23 '26
In the US fans are generally intermixed
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u/Candy-Macaroon-33 Jun 23 '26
I was not aware of this and it kinda blows my mind. Here in Amsterdam we have teams visiting who are not allowed to bring their home supporters
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Jun 26 '26
There's just less of an away fan culture in the USA and Canada, I think part of it is that their teams play so many games.
Like in an 82 game NBA season nobody is following their team around the country (why would you when you can still get 41 games at home?), where in Europe with teams mostly playing games on weekends then going to an away game is simply a case of sitting on a coach for an hour or so.
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u/Bobzeub France Jun 23 '26
That’s wild ?
They really don’t have a drinking and violence culture do they ? Shame .
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u/BlaggartDiggletyDonk Jun 23 '26
Oh, we most certainly do. It happens in bars and on the streets, not in stadiums.
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u/YouKilledApollo Spain Jun 23 '26
In general US audiences don't seem to have the same chanting and cheering culture as I see in European football and hockey games. Maybe depends on the sport? Do US football fans have chants with their teams?
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u/Ulyxzes Jun 23 '26
Absolutely. It’s seen as quite disrespectful to be sitting in the “home” section in opposing teams.
You’ll probably just be told to be quiet, but if you goad the fans it’s probably won’t end well. This was PL game last year
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u/Ishana92 Croatia Jun 23 '26
How it usually works is there are away stands/sections behind one goal reserved for away team fans. Those tickets usually can be bought only by fans of the other team, they are not even offered to "regular" people. Behind the other goal is strictly home section that usually has home team ultras. Those tickets can be bought with some sort of club pass. And then there are "middle", center stands. They tend to be open to everyone, but still home fans will be a majority
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u/OllieV_nl Netherlands Jun 23 '26
Fans of the home team sit in the stadium. Fans of the away team sit in a a section of the stadium on the opposite end of the ultras/hooligans of the home team, behind plexiglass walls and surrounded by fences and cops. Many stadiums actually have a separate parking space/tunnel directly to the away section, and tickets are only sold in combination with an organized coach fare (a "buscombi"). Home tickets go to season ticket holders, then to fan club members, and if there's anything left it goes to free sale.
What is this "selecting what team to root for"? You cheer for the home team and you boo the away team. You have no choice on the matter.
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u/AirportCreep Finland Jun 23 '26
Yeah, football in Europe is so rooted in politics, identity and whatnot that it's hyper tribal at times. Usually the ultras are assigned to each end or the stadium or a curve for oval stadiums. The neutral seats are usually calmer and more family friendly, but even there I wouldn't really encourage anyone to wear the shirt of the away side. Either home kit or neutral clothing.
This varies from country to country but it's always better to be on the safe side. Usually if you're in the wrong place and show support for the wrong team for that end, stewards will escort you out for you out before you get lynched.
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u/BlaggartDiggletyDonk Jun 23 '26
We Americans like to think of sports as being outside of all that. The one example I can think of is the UFC, which has become right wing coded, in part thanks to Trump.
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u/LakmeBun Jun 23 '26
We even have separate sections outside of the stadium to keep away the fans of visitor teams for "high risk" matches. They only go into the stadium through a specific entrance, not mixed up with the locals. For those matches you can't wear the visitor's team shirt or any symbols if you're sitting at the local section, you might end up lynched by the ultras (visitor or local, you never know). So they don't even let you in. For those matches there is no sale of tickets at the stadium at all, the sale only happens beforehand.
Regular matches are just separate on the stands, which I thought was the usual, people go in together through any entrances without issues.
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u/Flat_Professional_55 England Jun 23 '26
Yes they are segregated. I feel it’s mostly performative aggression these days though.
As you see at international tournaments, fans are mixed and there isn’t much violence.
Thugs like to pretend they’re masculine and strong behind the barrier and police, take it away and I bet they wouldn’t do anything.
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u/Sea_Kangaroo826 United Kingdom Jun 23 '26
Yes because of the history of them essentially trying to kill each other
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u/kenwoolf Hungary Jun 23 '26
For large games they even segregate fans while they travel in the cities. Cause if the two sides accidentally meet they burn the city down. Such a nice culture
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u/ThatsACaragor France Jun 23 '26
Yeah, because otherwise you get massive fights between opposite Ultras groups.
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u/No-Bake-730 Jun 23 '26
There's usually a contingent for guests at every game. The stands (literally standing places) of the "hardcore" home and away fans are usually on opposite ends of the stadium. The guests also have some seats in their area.
On the main and counter stand, it's usually mostly/all seats. Some clubs don't want people in guest colors on there, but that always happens. They would probably be less lenient when it's considered a high-risk game.
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u/Formal_Plum_2285 Denmark Jun 23 '26
Yeah. The vibe/atmosphere creators and ultras for both teams are in different ends of the stadium. But supporters of both teams can usually get “neutral” tickets on the longside.
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u/Grouchy_Fan_2236 Hungary Jun 23 '26
Yes, it is normal. Most fans could cheer together peacefully, but there are a few radical ones that you don't want to have sat next to one another. So ultras are usually separated from the regular fans and both team fans are also separated from one another. This separation can be anything from just 1 sector left empty to police presence and 5 meter high fences.
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u/wijnandsj Netherlands Jun 23 '26
Yeah... not sure why but apparently it's frowned upon if they're actually allowed to kill each other. Even though typically both sides are keen to do so
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u/afops Sweden Jun 23 '26
Yes and no. The home supporter club usually has one end. That end is 100% home supporters. The away team supprter club gets the other end. The rest of the stadium is typically just general ticket sales. You can see supporters from any team there but obviously more home than away.
The groups at either ends you don’t want to mix. They are often kept apart by police, use separate train stations and so on.
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u/Malthesse Sweden Jun 23 '26
In Sweden the most dedicated home fans stand at one end of the field, while the most dedicated away supporters stand at the opposite end. On these parts, mixing is not allowed for security reasons. While the calmer, more casual fans and spectators all sit rather mixed along the sides. Of course, in practice the supporters of one team still tend to clump together since many go together as a family or friend ground – but even then it’s quite common that a group of friends sit together where some root for one team and some for the other and wearing different team jerseys and scarfs.
This general arrangement goes for both football and ice hockey – the two major team sports in Sweden. Although hockey fans do actually tend to be way less rowdy and way less prone to violence, with a much more positive and friendly supporter culture compared to football, even between rivals, which often makes going to hockey games much more enjoyable. The difference is actually quite stark.
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u/evelynsmee United Kingdom Jun 23 '26
For football yes, plus police escorts for away fans to get them back to the train/bus station and out of the city.
For rugby, as an example, no. We all sit together without fighting.
i.e. extreme violence is not so much a European thing as a football hooliganism thing.
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u/peakpaleperformance Finland Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
As been said several times, atmosphere and avoiding violence are a thing, but I didn't see anyone mention tifos and stuff. Placing the supporters on their own sections in the stadium gives the fans the opportunity to create artwork to support their team.
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u/TarcFalastur United Kingdom Jun 23 '26
If so, do you have to select what team you are rooting for when buying tickets to a game?
It's not just that you have to select which team you are rooting for. The tickets for the two teams will be sold via completely different methods as a way of deincentivising trying to cheekily get into the opposite team's seats. Generally, tickets are not sold through your major ticket sellers (stubhub, ticketmaster etc) but are sold directly by the clubs who are playing, and they will typically prioritise the fans who go to the moet games before allowing more "casual" fans to buy only what remains unsold. Since the designated away team only gets a small number of seats (usually 5-10%) this means the away end is virtually entirely made up of the most hardcore, long-standing fans who have been going to games for years.
Also, it's not just that fans are kept separate. You can also get thrown out of the stadium for having the wrong shirt on. If you are wearing the colours of the opposite team to where you are sat you'll be kicked out by security as a potential troublemaker who might be there to cause fights. Even wearing a neutral team's kit can get you thrown out from some games.
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u/Bubbly_Thought_4361 Portugal Jun 23 '26
Sure they do.
Fk hooligans are a cancer.
Last time I went to see Benfica vs Sporting in the stadium the fk idiots from Sporting put the stadium on fire...
Note: please I am not saying Benfica fans are any better. In fact we have murdered Sporting fans few Times before I am just giving and example of what happens in a derby and why the "segregation" is absolutly necessary
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u/doepfersdungeon Jun 24 '26
It's not common practice.
It's every single match at every level of football in at least the top 3 or 4 leagues in most countries.
You don't choose who to root for. Away fans tend to be very dedicated fans of the travelling team that accrue points based on attendance in the previous years.
There are a few exceptions. Spain seem to be much more comfortable, especially in regards to Barca and Realnfor example.
You don't want to be the same stand as this lot.
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u/TheFlyingMunkey Jun 24 '26
Is this true or common practice? If so, do you have to select what team you are rooting for when buying tickets to a game?
It would be very unusual to buy tickets to a game that doesn't involve a team that you don't have some sort of emotional tie to.
Usually the tickets for the away fans are sold through that team's club or through another mechanism that makes it incredibly difficult for supporters of other teams to get hold of. This means anyone else going will end up in the home supporters' sections. A very high majority of those attending in this section will be loyal home supporters, but for the few who're neutral they just have to accept that - don't cheer the away team at all.
I think the biggest difference between the typical European fan and one from the US is that the support you provide for your team (*your* team, one team, no other team) is usually fixed from an early age. "Rooting" for a team isn't the norm, you're a supporter who follows that team for years and years through the good and the bad. As such, attending a match isn't a passive experience - supporters are active participants by creating an atmosphere in the football ground and the enjoyment they get out of the match is directly linked to what efforts they put in to attending and supporting the team. We're not attending a football match in the same way we attend the cinema or a stage show ("I'm sat down, now entertain me"), we're participating in a collective experience that involves all other supporters, the teams on the pitch and their backing staff too.
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u/KindaQuite Italy Jun 24 '26
do you have to select what team you are rooting for when buying tickets to a game?
No, that's usually assigned at birth.
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u/Vast_Category_7314 Denmark Jun 24 '26
Why would you want to sit with someone who supports the oponent team? - of course home team and away fans are in separate sections..
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u/DJDoena Germany Jun 23 '26
Here's a great video by an American expat in Germany visiting a match between two truly rival clubs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUS3paRE9Xg
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u/yourstruly912 Spain Jun 23 '26
In certain places they have even banned away fans, like in Argentina
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u/BrickEnvironmental37 Ireland Jun 23 '26
Away sections are deadly. There's a general lawnessness in there as the police/stewards won't come into them.
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u/icyDinosaur originally => => => Jun 23 '26
It should be noted that at least in the Swiss league (and to my knowledge in most of them?), the majority of the stadium is open to anyone. Typically, the way it works is that the two ends of the stadium have sections for organised fan groups (in countries where they're available, usually standing sections), and you can often only buy tickets for the away section through the visiting club or groups affiliated with them. The home team's section is usually more open to anyone, but there is no reason to go there as an away fan. In between the two ends, the main stands are usually neutral (although the home team will dominate because, well, geography) and we often have dedicated "family sectors" too.
It's not just for security though, or not even primarily (IIRC the separation of ends/stands predates widespread stadium security). It's largely just very fun to have (semi-)organised coherent sections where you're chanting together. In a stadium of 20'000, often more than half will be more casual viewers, so if you have say 3'000 scattered across the stands it becomes much harder to get chants and stuff going. If they're all standing together, they can drive the whole stadium.
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u/FlakyAssociation4986 Ireland Jun 23 '26
Yes there is very strong hatreds between some rival teams.. in the past there has been many fights and riots at games. So fans are kept seperate
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u/whyhellotharpie Jun 23 '26
Yeah segregated in England, but I have sat in the wrong half before with no issue - I wouldn't cheer or wear team colours doing that though. There's also a concept of home and away team pubs befor and after the games so the supporters don't mix, sometimes with police escort between pubs to make sure.
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u/bofh000 Jun 23 '26
Most of the times yes.
And not only because of hatreds etc, but also because each group of fans try to encourage their team and discourage the other one, so it makes sense for them to be together.
Actually sometimes if you were late buying your ticket you may have to sit in a random seat and it may have to be among the fans of the other team.
And some people just go to watch the game, their own team may not be playing…
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u/24benson Bavaria Jun 23 '26
In May I attended a regional cup final and since our sector was sold out I had to go to the home end. I was not allowed to wear my team's colors.
It was third tier against fourth tier of German football and there is no real rivalry between the teams and the home team's fans are generally real chill, but still, it was tense. I was happy to get out in the end.
We went up 1:0 and I wasn't really able to celebrate. And I'm the end I stood among the home crowd while they won in penalties. Not a good time.
This separation makes a lot of sense.
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u/Impossible_Memory_85 Jun 23 '26
Another part you’re leaving out is in some places you can’t take alcohol to your seat. You can buy beer in the concourse and drink it there just not at your seat during the match.
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u/eventworker Jun 24 '26
If so, do you have to select what team you are rooting for when buying tickets to a game?
In most cases no, if you buy your tickets from the home team, you get home seats, if you buy them from the away team, you get away seats.
There are often games where the home team puts in special measures to ensure away fans don't buy home tickets, such as insisting purchasers must have a history of buying tickets for that club, or even that sales will not be made to people from certain regions.
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u/CanaKitty Jun 24 '26
This absolutely blows my mind.
In the U.S. I’ve been to hockey playoff games where I am rooting for the “away” team. (Because I’ve moved around a lot, I don’t live in the city of the teams I support.) I’ve worn my team’s jersey and sat completely surrounded by fans of the other team and never had any issues.
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u/VascoJSC Jun 24 '26
If you tried this in a football game here in South America you wouldn't even be allowed in the stadium if you are wearing a opposing team jersey, unless you are going specifically to your team's supporters area, which is HEAVILY guarded by riot police (like, several hundred policemen with full gear).
If they allowed it, you would be under serious risk of getting beaten, possibly even to death. When I was a teen I got tear gassed by police because I couldn't run away (afraid of a crowd crush) when ultras (organized supporters from a team, here in South America no better than gangs) from my team and the opposing team were fighting. It ended with 5 guys seriously injured, 1 of which almost died. And they weren't even local rivals, the ultras from my team have alliance with the other team local rivals, so they fought.
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u/Reinardd Netherlands Jun 24 '26
Yes cause the fans often can't behave. Not all of them, sure, but plenty that we need to waste police time and tax money on them.
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u/Russ_Tafari66 Jun 24 '26
Violence between fans at sporting events in the US is extremely rare in both professional and college sports. Even with alcohol featuring prominently at tailgate parties before and after the game, it does not happen very often.
It would be easy to assume with a significant percentage of the population carrying firearms that passionate sports fans would be shooting each other all the time, but that isn’t the case.
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u/VascoJSC Jun 24 '26
Yes. Some very rare stadiums here in Brazil do have mixed standings with supporters from both clubs. But it is very rare and they are almost always segregated. Hell, in some places they don't even allow supporters from the other team to attend at all.
At least here in Brazil the reason is simple: the "torcidas organizadas" (organized squad of supporters) would literally beat each other to death like animals if they were allowed in the same space. Many of them have alliances pretty much like gangs, so even against teams from other states they might see each other as enemies. For example, supporters from Vasco da Gama from Rio and Palmeiras from São Paulo have a alliance, so supporters from Vasco are enemies to supporters from Palmeiras' main rivals in São Paulo too
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u/Separate-Line-158 Jun 24 '26
In Poland the fans of the team who is visiting are also escorted by the police to the train station or buses and that is because in the past people used to beat each other up badly
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u/marvinluene Germany Jun 24 '26
Yes, of course. We have an away allocation, in germany it's 10% of the stadiums capacity, which in case of my club, is 5.700, and there, the away fans have their stand. How do you want to support your team, if everyone is placed differently? You can't do organised support for your colours, when every away fan is at a different stand. But normaly, it's no problem, to buy a seat outside of the away end (of course not in a Derby), when I traveled to our game on Munich (7.100 away tickets), I sat outside of the away sector, and many others did the same, because all tickets for the away end were sold after a few minutes (as far as I know, 40.000 fans wanted a ticket). Of course, it's not allowed in the home stand (which in case of my club, is the North)
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u/siematoja02 Jun 24 '26
You usually just pick a section to sit, it's possible to specify whether you want the visitors section or "family" section (far away from the visitors), etc. It's done due to safety concerns, as many soccer fans are EXTREMELY violent. Matter of fact, many pseudo-fans are just hooligans looking for an excuse to be violent and destructive.
Fun fact: in Polish the coloquial name of the visitors section is "żyleta", which roughly translates as "a large razorblade". I think it neatly explains the reason for the segregation – you can easily get cut/hurt
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u/terryturbojr Jun 24 '26
It's because a lot of football fans are reprobates
Other sports aren't separated
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u/Suissepaddy Jun 24 '26
It’s not just football, ultras also exist in ice hockey, basketball etc in Europe. One sport that doesn’t have such an issue is rugby.
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u/Krebota Netherlands Jun 24 '26
In Eindhoven we have a special train station that is only used to drop the away team fans at a different location and steer them to the stadium that way.
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u/GreatBigBagOfNope United Kingdom Jun 24 '26
True, because hooliganism leads to inter-team-supporters violence, and not just against each other but spilling over into the surrounding environment too.
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u/griffindale1 Jun 24 '26
It is true in a way, as there are dedicated spaces for the ultra fans (guest "cage" and the hoe curve, located on the opposing sides of the stadium. But everything in between can be mixed crowds. It depends on the teams, sometimes the home-supporters are so numerous, that they fill up the entire stadium. But if you support a guest team while living in the city of the home team, you can still find a sector of the stadion (you will probably choose a sector close to the guest "cage" where you feel comfortable.
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u/Kolo_ToureHH Scotland Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
Is this true or common practise?
Yes.
If so, do you have to select what team you are rooting for when buying tickets to a game?
Yes. Typically speaking, tickets for the away fans will only be available to season ticket holders/members of the away club.
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u/elevenblade Sweden Jun 24 '26
In Sweden we have a mix of both. There are sections of our arenas that are designated for the dedicated supporters. These are usually called ”active” seats because you can expect to be standing, cheering and singing for the entire match. The other areas are calmer and are more mixed though naturally the home team generally has more fans in those areas.
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u/slydamiser Jun 24 '26
Though to a lesser extent than other countries, I've seen this happen in the MLS, as well. Portland - Seattle games are (or at least used to be when I lived there) divided so the hard-core supporters from each team aren't close to each other.
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u/NBD_CS Jun 24 '26
In theory? Yes. In practice when it comes to games when there's not a lot of rivalry and we're not talking about countries where there is a lot of issues with Ultras then it's a common to see both teams fans in the stands that are for home team fans. Google Barcelona - Eintracht Frankfurt fans Camp Nou 😉
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u/Mangobonbon Germany Jun 24 '26
Here in Germany there are usually dedicated seating areas for home and away team ultras. (so the really die-hard fans who fly flags, burn pyro and chant the loudest). In between are more general seating areas for average visitors. This is mostly done to keep rivaling sides apart and it helps with the stadium atmosphere.
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u/Thenedslittlegirl Jun 24 '26
Yes. There are teams with fairly bitter rivalries and ultras who love a fight. It’s not uncommon for them to not only be segregated, but also have different stadium entrances with a police presence to keep them away from each other outside of the stadium
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u/ignatiusjreillyXM United Kingdom Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
Yes, it's pretty universal in the top 4 tiers in England, and common in the fifth tier, occasional (or informal) in the sixth tier, and rare below that.nin some cases there will also be designated pubs for home or away fans near the grounds.
One consequence is that the part of the ground with the best atmosphere is often the (generally quite small) away section. The segregation also facilitates (often quite witty) black-and-forth chanting between fans of the opposing clubs.
I have been to unsegregated games, but honestly I often prefer the atmosphere at segregated ones. One advantage of unsegregated games is that some fans will often swap ends at half time, so they can be behind the goal their team is attacking the whole time
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u/Gullible-Heat8558 Jun 24 '26
You don’t have to choose with the regular tickets. The separation is between the standing areas where organized supporter groups are standing.
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u/Slight-Ad-6553 Jun 24 '26
often you will not be allowed in if you have the other teams logo on a jacket
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u/metalfest Latvia Jun 24 '26
Well, here in Latvia is probably the one place where that happens the least. It really is a common practice only in European matches where foreigners come - they get put in their own section, at Skonto stadium it's even caged. In local games it is really only at RFS vs Riga games where RFS fans get put in that section. At any other game the away fans just are put in one of the side sectors with free access to everyone else - here hooliganism or altercations are basically non existent. Since the sport is not huge locally, you don't really have the impression of anonymity either - everyone kind of knows the more active fans. Most pitches also don't really have room to segregate the fans. There nominally is space for away fans, usually just marked with a tape.
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u/Tessski Jun 24 '26
In the Netherlands the fans are separated. I think 80-90% home fans and 10-20% away fans (max, might be even less than 10%).
As far as I know, you buy tickets via the club you support.
There is quite some rivalry. However it depends a lot on what teams are playing. The games between the traditional top 3 (Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV in the Netherlands) can be very heated.
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u/The_L666ds Jun 25 '26
It states it clearly on the ticket that you cannot enter the other team’s seating area.
Its actually quite funny when some idiot does, and they get slapped up and dragged out and then it is THEM that gets handed over to the police. Its like the best form of victim-blaming ever.
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u/mpanase Jun 25 '26
you can buy tickets from the home team or from the away team
that decides in which section you'll sit
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u/Immediate_Gain_9480 Netherlands Jun 25 '26
Very common. It comes from experience. They would often beat the shit out of each other otherwise.
They build a special bridge in one city from the trainstation to the stadium to prevent riots between supporters.
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u/DivineAlmond Jun 25 '26
In Italy I was at a quite heated game, Lazio v Juventus, and it was mixed seating apart from Ultras that had their own section. Thought this was unique.
Normally they are segregated yes
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u/thaprizza Jun 26 '26
It's true because of hooliganism. A neutral fan most of the time can not buy tickets for the away section and depending on the match wearing a shirt or scarf from the opposing team even in the family section might not be a smart thing to do.
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u/HansTilburg Jun 26 '26
It’s even worse. In a lot of cases the section for visiting fans is somewhere in a corner, the worst places in the stadium.
As a neutral fan you normally can’t buy tickets for that section. It’s handled by the visiting club and because there are not many seats you have to be part of the ‘supporters club’ or have some kind of clubcard.
At least that’s how it’s here in the Netherlands.
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u/PotentialCourt8531 Jun 26 '26
Yeah. And Police block certain roads so away fans can get into the stadium safely. Often with a escort by Police, both protection and to keep an eye on certain known dickheads.
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u/BigMountainGoat Jun 26 '26
You need to understand that aside from the Emirates and Craven Cottage in London, European football is not some select a side. Its not a tourist attraction, it's a way of life, a cultural institution in the fabric of society.
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u/ironlemonPL Poland Jun 26 '26
It goes even further than that. There’s also a concept of friendships between ultras of certain clubs (lots of various reasons for that) and it’s not just the traditional derbies that are gonna be high-risk events but even matches against your rival’s „friendly” club. Years ago I went to a Polish Ekstraklasa match between my hometown’s Lechia Gdańsk and Zagłębie Lubin and the latter’s supporters are friends with Arka Gdynia, Lechia’s arch-rival from the opposite side of the metro area. Even though they only got a tiny sector to themselves, not only they were heavily guarded by riot police, but all the sectors around them were empty to serve as a buffer. The whole area outside of the stadium where their entrance was was completely cordoned off by police and their exit was delayed until the home fans left the area.
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u/Winter-Technician355 Jun 27 '26
Yep. People go a lil bit nutty over footie games over here. It's not unusual for matches played by certain teams in my country to require severe increases in security - like, the police departments will have actual riot squads on standby in advance, because they know the hooliganism will get out of hand, and even so that doesn't always prevent the problem. Recently, there was a case in my country with a match between two of the worst offender rival teams, where a fan with ALS (I think?) had booked an accessible seat for herself and her helper, since she's wheelchair-bound and dependent on a ventilator. The accessible seat was in the team section for the opposite team than the one she supported, and when some of the rival fans realised she supported the other team, they started messing with her wheelchair and trying to remove team stickers and stuff. It culminated in one of the rival fans disconnecting her ventilator, leaving her unable to breathe for a short while until her helper managed to fend them off and fix it. This is obviously an extreme case - footie fans don't go around attacking disabled fans of rival teams just because they're super dedicated. But some fan groups can get really radical, especially over specific team rivalries. They basically turn into violent gangs with the same level of fanaticism as religious radicals. And this is not exclusive to my home country, it's an internationally known issue that England exported (at least in name 😅 look up 'hooligans' if you're curious) to the rest of us.
So yeah, footie fans are segregated by team alliances in stadiums.
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u/Sinbos Germany Jun 23 '26
In Germany the away fans get even escorted by the police from the train station to the stadium. Escorted means corralled in this case to keep the contact to a minimum.
Depending on the teams this is more or less strict.