Belgian Fans Criticize Croatian Stadium as 'Cage' After Friendly Match

Belgian football fans traveling to Rijeka, Croatia, for a friendly match against the Croatian national team found themselves in an unwelcoming environment, with media highlighting the stadium's restrictive facilities for away supporters. Belgium secured a 2-0 victory over Croatia, with goals from Youri Tielemans and Romelu Lukaku, as both teams prepared for the upcoming World Cup.

Despite the on-field success, the experience for the 250 traveling Belgian fans was marred by the conditions at the Rujevica stadium. Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad published a photo gallery under the headline "Behind bars: 250 Belgian fans must watch the match from a cage in Croatia." The report described the designated area for visiting fans as "unbelievable, to say the least," noting it was "hermetically sealed by bars and nets."

The criticism from Nieuwsblad underscores a recurring issue at the Rujevica stadium, which has drawn attention from foreign media for its cage-like structure for away fans. This practice, while standard for the Croatian national team's home matches, has been deemed particularly unwelcoming for international visitors who have traveled significant distances to support their teams.

“

So you travel all the way to Rijeka in Croatia to see the Red Devils in action, and then you have to watch from a 'cage'. The away section for 250 Belgian fans who travel is unbelievable, to say the least. The away stand at the compact Rujevica stadium was hermetically sealed by bars and nets.