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Chelsea's 1-0 win over Djurgarden at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, sealing a 5-1 aggregate victory and a place in the UEFA Conference League final, was overshadowed by serious crowd trouble.
Disorder broke out as thousands of Djurgarden fans managed to access home sections of the stadium. Some were seen jumping barriers and clashing with stewards and police. “Away fans were literally everywhere today at Stamford Bridge,” one Chelsea supporter wrote on social media. Another added, “Actually embarrassing from the club that this sort of touting is happening.”
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust condemned the situation as a “serious safety issue,” calling it “the most serious breach of stadium security in recent memory.” They stated: “We will call for a formal investigation by the club into the ticket sales process and Chelsea FC’s security response during the match.”
Chelsea acknowledged the incident mid-match, posting: “Chelsea FC were aware some away fans gained access to areas of the stadium in violation of our ticketing policy... additional security and police deployed.” A second statement promised a full review, stating: “We will be reviewing all ticketing arrangements... and commit to implementing all necessary changes.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed six arrests outside the ground for offences including assault and possession of drugs, but none inside. “Officers were deployed to support stewards... after a number of away fans were identified in home stand,” a spokesperson said.
Despite the disruption, Chelsea progress to the final where they’ll face Real Betis in Wroclaw on May 28.
Featured Image Credit: Pexels / gina bichsel, Unsplash / Simon Reza
