Football Supporters Europe (FSE), UEFA, European Football Clubs, and European Leagues met at the UEFA Safety and Security Conference in Madrid on 1–2 September 2026 to discuss the contribution of away supporters to European football and the challenges associated with collective bans. For the second-year running, the conference centered on fan engagement with particular focus on away fan facilitation and further promoting the Council of Europe’s integrated approach to safety, security and service at football matches, as established in the Saint-Denis Convention. More than 500 UEFA National Associations, clubs, fans, domestic leagues, police, governmental, sport and international organisations representatives attended the conference hosted by UEFA in Madrid.
European football hosts the world’s leading club and national team competitions, bringing together millions of supporters each season. Across the continent, stadiums serve as unique meeting places for sporting excellence, cultural exchange and social cohesion.
The success of European football is built upon the unique contribution and effective cooperation of competition organisers, clubs, supporter organisations, supporters and public authorities, all of whom share responsibility for promoting a safe, secure, inclusive and welcoming football environment.
Supporters, including away supporters, make a vital contribution to the atmosphere, cultural identity, popularity and sporting integrity of football competitions at all levels. Supporters have the right to travel to and attend football matches and follow their teams both at home and away, while respecting applicable laws and regulations. This is a long-established and valued feature of European football culture.
Against this backdrop, collective bans on away supporters may have significant consequences for supporters and fan culture, while also creating operational challenges for competition organisers and clubs.
In this context, the European football stakeholders endorse the Recommendation Rec(2025)1 on the use of collective bans against away football supporters, adopted by the Saint-Denis Committee of the Council of Europe in October 2025, and in particular wish to highlight the following principles:
1. Prioritise individual accountability
Measures aimed at preventing violence, disorder or other forms of misconduct should focus on the individuals responsible rather than on groups of supporters as a whole. Approaches that promote individual accountability contribute to fairness, proportionality and a more effective balance between public safety and the rights of supporters, and should also be supported by enhanced international cooperation between public authorities, national associations, clubs, leagues and other competition organisers.
2. Restrict collective bans to exceptional circumstances
Collective bans should not become a routine response to safety or security concerns. They should only be considered in exceptional circumstances where clear, objective and up-to-date documented evidence demonstrates that no less restrictive measures are capable of addressing serious risks to public safety or public order. Their application should always respect the principles of necessity and proportionality.
3. Integrate football stakeholders into decision-making processes
Effective safety and security outcomes are best achieved through information sharing, dialogue and cooperation. Meaningful consultation among public authorities, competition organisers, clubs and supporter organisations should form an integral part of decision-making processes concerning potential restrictions on supporter attendance, particularly in relation to high-risk matches.
4. Ensure timely communication and effective access to redress
Decisions affecting supporter attendance should be communicated clearly, at the earliest opportunity and through appropriate channels, enabling supporters and other stakeholders to make informed arrangements and, where applicable, exercise their rights under the relevant legal framework.
5. Promote fairness and transparency
Decisions to impose collective bans should be based on fair and transparent evidence-based processes, with the reasons underpinning such decisions clearly articulated and communicated in order to enhance understanding, reinforce their legitimacy and foster constructive relationships between public authorities and football stakeholders.
The European football stakeholders reaffirm their shared commitment to working constructively with public authorities to ensure that football remains a safe, secure, inclusive and welcoming environment for supporters.
They further agree to transmit this joint statement to the Saint-Denis Committee of the Council of Europe as an expression of the European football stakeholders’ shared position on the use of collective bans against away supporters.