Incident makes MU fans miserable in Lyon

The MU fans' stands were empty at the beginning of the match.

Instead of living in a passionate football atmosphere, many "Red Devils" fans had to struggle with crowds, traffic jams and confusing regulations from local French authorities, to the point of missing the opening whistle.

Ahead of the Europa League quarter-final first leg at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Manchester United fans are required to comply with strict security procedures from France. Accordingly, all away fans must go to the Eurexpo Convention Center - more than 10 km from the stadium - to receive identification bracelets, otherwise they will be denied entry to the stadium.

Worse, the Lyon metro system suffered a breakdown, forcing thousands of people to queue up on special buses designated by the organizers (the "Shuttle 1 Stadium" line). Those who did not take the correct bus route were not allowed into the away fans' stands, according to the Daily Mail.

MU fans crowded into the stadium.

Many angry fans wrote: "An absurd mess", "The stadium is far from the center, and they still make you go around to another place to get a wristband before you can continue", "What a joke", "Who wants to sit in a car in the middle of rush hour to get a wristband and then have to wait for another bus to get into the stadium?", "Traffic is paralyzed, the wristbands are absurd. There is no conflict but you are still treated like this"...

Images of the empty MU stands right before kick-off went viral on social media. It wasn’t until the 17th minute that TV commentators confirmed that the stands were full.

MU immediately apologized to fans for the inconvenience, and affirmed that they could not change the decision of local authorities. Lyon even initially wanted to set up two wristband collection points deep in the city center.

"We understand and apologise for the serious inconvenience this has caused to your plans. Please be assured that the club has made every effort to make changes, but ultimately must comply with the security instructions of the host country," MU's statement said.

The fans' experience became even worse when the home team was held to a 2-2 draw by Lyon. Goalkeeper Andre Onana was at fault for both goals, causing the "Red Devils" to lose their advantage before the second leg.

Source: https://znews.vn/su-co-khien-cdv-mu-khon-don-o-lyon-post1544923.html