Chelsea urged to investigate ‘serious breach of stadium security'

South Wales Guardian

09-05-2025

A large number of supporters of the Swedish club were seen jumping over barriers separating the home and away sections in order to join travelling fans seated in the Shed End, which typically houses away fans.
There were also large groups of Djurgarden fans, possibly up to 1,000, who remained in the West Stand during the match which led to stewards relocating home supporters seated there and the deployment of additional policing.
CST on Thursday set up a forum for supporters to submit evidence which will be shared with the club, and called on Chelsea to investigate how so many away fans were able to purchase tickets in the wrong section, as well as the club's security response.
At the start of this evening's #UECL match, Chelsea FC were aware some away fans gained access to areas of the stadium in violation of our ticketing policy.
The Chelsea supporters sitting in the immediate areas impacted were relocated, with additional security and police… pic.twitter.com/rWyAPbDj0h
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 8, 2025
In a statement, CST said: 'During Thursday's UEFA Conference League vs. Djurgarden, a huge number of away supporters were able to infiltrate large areas of the home end.
'This is the most serious breach of stadium security in recent memory, and it significantly undermines any security protocols Chelsea FC put in place ahead of the fixture.
'As a result, the Chelsea Supporters' Trust will formally write a letter of complaint to Chelsea FC's COO and Head of Security. We will call for a formal investigation by the club into the ticket sales process and Chelsea FC's security response during the match.
'The findings of this investigation and any subsequent recommendations must be made available to supporters.'
Chelsea confirmed via social media on Thursday night that supporters in the home section had to be moved and that their ticketing policy had been 'violated' by fans of the Swedish club.
A call for evidence: Stamford Bridge succumbs to visiting Swedish supporters
Thursday's fixture was the most serious breach of stadium security in recent memory.
The CST invites supporters who attended the match to submit any evidence they captured.https://t.co/x5vm7o4IwE pic.twitter.com/GP3TsyxKvI
— Chelsea Supporters' Trust⭐️⭐️ (@ChelseaSTrust) May 9, 2025
A club statement said: 'We will be reviewing all ticketing arrangements following this evening's match and commit to implementing all necessary changes following this review.
'We will also share all our findings with the Fan Advisory Board.'
The travelling fans seated in the correct section created a raucous atmosphere despite their team losing 1-0 on the night to exit the tournament 5-1 on aggregate.
CST added: 'It is important to note that the CST shared concerns with senior club officials over the vulnerability of home areas ahead of this fixture.
'No supporter should feel unsafe while at Stamford Bridge, and the CST will do everything to ensure that a full and proper explanation is issued to supporters and safeguards are put in place to ensure that this situation is not repeated in the future.'
UEFA is understood to be awaiting reports from the match before assessing any potential next steps.
Sources close to European football's governing body pointed out that ticketing for the match was Chelsea's responsibility.