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Written by Jim

Published: 14 April 2019

Eintracht Frankfurt have surprised just about everybody this season by making it to the semi-finals of the Europa League. But they’re impressing off the pitch, too, with a fan-centred approach that appears to be paying dividends.

Ahead of their home tie with Chelsea, FSE spoke to Henning Schwarz, the CEO of the Fan Department, and Philipp Reschke, the club’s in-house counsel, who is responsible for security, fan services, and matchday operations.

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Written by Jim

Published: 28 March 2019

Registration for the 10th FSE European Football Fans Congress is now open.

EFFC19 will be hosted in Lisbon from Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th July by Associação Portuguesa de Defesa do Adepto (APDA), a national organisation that is currently protesting a new law that targets football supporters.

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Written by Jim

Published: 12 March 2019

Dear Mr Infantino

We are writing as a global group of non-governmental organisations, trade unions, players’ unions and fans groups working to defend and promote human rights and transparency in sport, in relation to the forthcoming FIFA Council Meeting on 14-15 March where proposals to expand the 2022 World Cup will be discussed.

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Written by Jim

Published: 28 February 2019

Earlier this month, representatives from Football Supporters Europe (FSE) visited Baku (Azerbaijan), where this season’s UEFA Europa League (UEL) final will be held. The purpose of the visit was to assess the city’s preparations for the fixture, with a specific focus on the Olympic Stadium. In addition to the usual meetings with UEFA representatives and Azerbaijani officials, FSE also consulted local supporters’ groups, human rights activists, and journalists.

The final will take place on Wednesday 29th May at 23:00 (local time).

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Written by Jim

Published: 28 February 2019

In the coming weeks, football fans from various clubs will protest UEFAs outdated ban on standing at European games under the slogan ‘EUROPE WANTS TO STAND’. The protests will begin with the Champions League tie between Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspurs on 5th March, 2019. In addition to banners in the stands, the organisers have written an open letter to UEFA explaining their stance. The letter has been signed by a broad alliance of European fan organisations.

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Written by Jim

Published: 28 February 2019

In early February, representatives from Football Supporters Europe (FSE), Spanish supporters’ group Federacion de Accionistas y Socios del Futbol Espanol (FASFE), and SD Europe visited Bilbao.

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Written by Jim

Published: 27 February 2019

Over the weekend of 15th-17th February, the FSE Committee convened in Amsterdam to discuss issues affecting football fans across the continent. The meeting took place in the Johan Cruijff Arena, thanks to the hospitality of Supportersvereniging Ajax, one of our longest standing members.

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Written by Jim

Published: 21 February 2019

After watching their team lose 1-0 to FC BATE Borisov in Belarus last week, Arsenal fans are now faced with the prospect of a 5:55pm kick-off for the return leg at the Emirates (London).

Such an early start means that many fans will find it difficult, if not impossible, to attend the game due to work and other commitments. This is, of course, a problem in and of itself, but it is compounded by the fact that season ticket holders have already been charged for the fixture.

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Written by Jim

Published: 01 February 2019

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) have chosen Jim Chisem to succeed Philipp Markhardt as the organisation’s Communications and Research Officer.

Jim, who previously worked as an editor for a leading academic publisher, has been deeply involved in the world of English fan activism over the past three years. He is the co-chair of the Huddersfield Town Supporters’ Association (HTSA), organiser of the Stand Up For Town campaign, founder of Fans for Foodbanks, and a member of the West Yorkshire Police Football Supporters’ Independent Advisory Group. His writing has been published by the BBC, Reuters, and The Times.

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Written by Philipp Markhardt

Published: 18 January 2019

We are pleased to announce that the 10th FSE European Football Fans Congress (#EFFC19) will be held in Lisbon from Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th July, 2019.

The EFFC takes place every other year and is the biggest gathering of active football supporters on the continent. More importantly, it is the only event where supporters can directly engage with the decisionmakers and major stakeholders of international football.