UEFA agrees to limit blanket away-fan bans

European football has moved toward limiting blanket bans on away supporters, with individual responsibility set to take priority over collective punishment.

UEFA, the European Football Clubs association, the Football Supporters Europe group and European leagues discussed the issue at the UEFA Security and Safety Conference in Madrid on Sept. 1 and 2. They examined both the contribution visiting fans make to European football and the difficulties created by mass bans.

According to UEFA, collective bans should be used only in exceptional circumstances. Supporters should retain the right to attend matches and follow their teams at home and away games, provided they respect applicable laws and regulations.

More than 500 representatives of UEFA national associations, clubs, supporters, local leagues, police forces, governments, sports bodies and international organizations attended the conference. The gathering focused for the second consecutive time on making it easier for away fans to attend matches and on advancing the integrated approach to safety, security and service set out in the Council of Europe’s Saint-Denis Convention.

The European football stakeholders also endorsed a recommendation adopted by the Council of Europe’s Saint-Denis Committee in October 2025 on how collective bans against visiting football supporters should be applied.