Euro dispute leaves fans having to act as observers

FANS have been encouraged to help bail out UEFA as their high-risk European matches continue to go ahead without trained anti-discrimination observers inside stadiums.

Atletico Madrid ultras were seen displaying a Nazi flag ahead of their Champions League clash with Liverpool at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday.

But the incident is likely to go officially unreported due to the stalemate between UEFA and the FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe) network.

FARE confirmed that this week’s Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League matches will take place without undercover spotters because of UEFA’s ongoing failure to reach a deal to retain their services.

The 180 monitors have been a vital tool in UEFA’s bid to spot and report incidents of discrimination at games since 2013.

But the impasse, which has sparked fresh accusations about UEFA’s commitment to tackling racism, had already resulted in 80 high-risk matches taking place this season without FARE’s expertise before the international break.

And FARE confirmed: ‘FARE anti-discrimination observers will not be present at UEFA Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League matches this week. Remember this game is about diversity. Football belongs to us all. Stay safe.’

In a bid to potentially minimise the damage and in the absence of an alternative solution from UEFA, FARE also provided a link for supporters to report any incidents of discrimination they see or hear at this week’s games.

In the absence of an agreement, UEFA have been left relying on tip-offs from their staff who have been attending games for other match-day duties, and video footage, to try and make up for not having the trained spotters at matches.

As reported earlier this month, a number of matches in this week’s European competitions are likely to have fallen into the high-risk category.