Fan trouble in European competitions has come under the spotlight once again after a troubling night at Villa Park. Aston Villa forward Donyell Malen had just fired his team ahead against Young Boys when he was struck by objects thrown from the away end, leaving him with a cut on his head.
When Malen scored again in Villa’s 2-1 Europa League win, the situation escalated. Young Boys supporters ripped out seats, clashed with police, and continued throwing objects onto the pitch. West Midlands Police arrested two fans on suspicion of affray and assaulting an officer, with four more arrests following on Friday.
The scenes have left many questioning whether this was a one-off incident or part of a growing trend of fan disorder across Europe.
“We’re seeing unacceptable behaviour becoming far too common in European fixtures,” one security official noted after the match.
Young Boys’ Troubled Record Raises Questions
Young Boys’ involvement in fan trouble is not new. In fact, their two-year probation for past behaviour expired only last week. Their previous major incident also took place in England, during their November 2023 Champions League meeting with Manchester City.
Back then, the Swiss club received a suspended away-fan ban, were fined for throwing objects, and were charged for stadium damage. Earlier this year, a suspended partial stadium closure was enforced for fireworks, leading to yet another probation period.
Despite this history, Young Boys were granted an away allocation at Villa Park—raising eyebrows, especially considering that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were denied entry for their Europa League fixture due to police recommendations and wider political sensitivities.
“The decision to block Maccabi fans was based on risk assessment,” Birmingham Council said, refusing to comment on the Young Boys case specifically.
Young Boys are almost certain to face fresh UEFA charges, potentially leading to stadium bans or further restrictions on away fans. They will also have to cover the repair costs at Villa Park within 30 days.
European Fan Disorder on the Rise
Since supporters returned to stadiums after the pandemic, fan behaviour across many European countries has deteriorated. According to Home Office data in England and Wales, arrests reached a nine-year high in 2023, with disorder rising another 18% during the 2024-25 season.
Surprisingly, English clubs have zero active cases on UEFA’s current disciplinary list, despite persistent stereotypes. UEFA’s supporter fair play rankings place England 6th out of 50 countries, behind only nations with very small supporter bases.
Yet, incidents involving English fans have still occurred. Fiorentina captain Cristiano Biraghi was left bleeding after a cup thrown from the West Ham end during the 2023 Conference League final. West Ham were fined and briefly banned from selling away tickets.
Across Europe, suspended stadium bans are common—116 active punishments currently exist, mostly for fireworks, racist behaviour, object throwing, and crowd disturbances.
Meanwhile, racially motivated incidents continue to spark debate. Qarabag were fined a mere €5,000 for racist abuse during a youth match against Chelsea, while Atletico Madrid received a €30,000 fine and a suspended away-fan ban for discriminatory gestures during a Champions League match at Arsenal.
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