LONDON — The British government has announced that around 150 supporters of Chelsea and Manchester City will need to hand over their passports to police before the Club World Cup in the United States, in order to prevent their travel.
According to the Home Office, these individuals are under banning orders due to “previous thuggish behavior” linked to soccer. The offenses include acts of violence, disorder, pitch invasions, the use of pyrotechnics, and online hate crimes.
The updated legislation for this FIFA-organized tournament, scheduled from June 14 to July 13, will affect games hosted in 11 different U.S. cities. Chelsea and Manchester City have secured their spots in this 32-team event by each winning a Champions League trophy in the past four years. Their initial group stage matches are set to take place in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Orlando.
Those fans who are subject to these bans must surrender their passports at least five days prior to the tournament’s kickoff in Miami, with the final matches near New York. The government has warned that any breach, such as non-compliance with the police or attempts to travel, will result in a significant fine with no upper limit or possibly six months in prison for severe cases.
Currently, in England and Wales, there are 2,172 such banning orders in effect. These restrictions extend to international travel for matches involving the England national team, the World Cup, and the European Championship tournaments.
Regarding the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, the government reported that 99% of fans under these orders complied by handing over their passports. There were 126 fans from England and Wales arrested in Germany.
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