Next week’s Gent v Haifa play-off 2nd Leg is now being played behind closed doors with all tickets refunded. The local authorities have taken that decision…
“the open character of the KAA Gent Arena and the fact that it is not possible to set up an external security perimeter around the stadium means that it is impossible to provide watertight guarantees with regard to safety in light of the current circumstances. of all supporters present. As a result, in the event of a bomb threat, which the law enforcement authorities believe is likely to occur, the stadium will have to be completely evacuated, which will cause a lot of unrest and dissatisfaction among those present.”
The city of Ghent also fears incidents in the center: " We have now received a request to demonstrate and it is expected that more reports will follow as the match day approaches. The international trend is that such demonstrations are becoming increasingly grim and more and more mobilize the people, making it increasingly difficult for the security forces to keep everything running smoothly."
If the match is disrupted for a long period of time, KAA Gent risks being given a forfeit score by UEFA. All this ultimately led to the decision to play behind closed doors. Although the public is not allowed, there will be a large police presence on the evening of the match to guarantee safety.
