Bundesliga football club Eintracht Frankfurt will once again have to dig deep into their pockets for their undisciplined supporters and will probably do without the support of their fans at the end of the preliminary round of the Conference League. This was announced by the club in a statement on Monday evening. It is not the first time that Frankfurt have either had to pay for misdeeds by some spectators or were punished with a partial exclusion of spectators.
The Appeals Chamber of the European Football Union (UEFA) fined the Hessians, who already had a criminal record, a fine of 30,000 euros after Eintracht fans set off pyrotechnics in the stands and threw other objects onto the pitch during the 1-0 win at Finnish representatives HJK Helsinki on 9 November. Frankfurt are also not allowed to sell tickets for their final group game at Aberdeen on 14 December.
Helsinki player Santeri Hostikka was hit in the back by a cup from the Frankfurt block in the 28th minute before a corner kick was taken. Referee Pierre Gaillouste then briefly interrupted the game, but resumed it after about two minutes after an announcement by the stadium announcer and consultation with the player and both coaches.
Just a few moments later, the goal for Frankfurt was scored by Fares Chaibi. Eintracht coach Dino Toppmöller had clear words for the incident after the game: "That was an absolutely unnecessary action. Thankfully, the player didn't get hurt. I can only apologise to him and the host club."
Chances of success of vocation "not good"
"The penalty is harsh, but not unusual compared to UEFA's previous sanction practice," said board member Philipp Reschke in the Eintracht statement. "The sanction was explicitly imposed not only for cup throwing, but also for repeated pyrotechnics. Of course, our previous workload was the deciding factor here."
According to the club, the proceedings were transferred to UEFA's appeals body, the so-called Appeals Body, from the outset because of its importance. Appeals can now only be lodged with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). It is still unclear whether the Frankfurters will go down this path.
"Although we do not yet know the exact reasons for the verdict, the chances of success of an appeal are realistically not good in this situation. We will consult on the consequences and how to proceed at very short notice," Reschke continued. Numerous fans have probably already booked trips to and hotels in Scotland. The upcoming home game against PAOK Thessaloniki on 30 November is not affected by the UEFA penalty.