UEFA, the governing body of football in Europe, has amended its regulation regarding the distribution and consumption of alcohol within stadiums during matches that fall under its jurisdiction. This means that local and national laws will now be applied at match venues. The lenient stand will help UEFA partner Heineken.
The amendment to the rules, ratified by UEFA executive committee in a meeting last month, will now allow fans at Champions League and Europa League matches enjoy alcohol from the next season.
The amendment will be a boon not just for the fans but also for the Dutch beer brand and UEFA’s official partner Heineken, which for a long time was not able to capitalize from the sale of beer in the stadiums.
The changed regulations apply to the UEFA-run club and national competitions including the Champions League, Europa League, European Championships and Uefa Super Cup.
The decision to alter Article 36 of UEFA’s 2006 Safety and Security Regulations means that grounds will now be permitted to sell and serve alcohol at European matches in line with the local procedure and prevailing national laws from the beginning of the 2018-19 season.
The amendment to Article 36 is now read as follows: “The match organiser may only sell or distribute alcohol within the stadium or its private environs if and within the limits permitted under the national and local law as applicable from time to time.”
Earlier, no public sale or distribution of alcohol was permitted within the stadium, while all non-alcoholic drinks had to be served in paper or plastic containers. However, the regulations did not apply to VIP areas, where alcohol was served openly.
English football fans, however, will not benefit from the changed regulations as their national laws do not permit consumption of alcohol in stadiums.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which represents fans across the continent, has issued a statement welcoming the change.
FSE CEO Ronan Evain said, “For a long time football supporters have felt unfairly treated in comparison with fans of other sports like rugby, to say the least. It is not the sport you follow which makes you behave better or worse. Furthermore, the alcohol ban did not apply to VIP areas at football matches, causing a two-class society even within the stadia.
“Supporters felt that the alcohol banning policy was paternalistic, as there is absolutely no evidence or research to suggest that banning alcohol in a stadium has any bearing whatsoever on preventing or curtailing football-related disorder in and around it.”
“More broadly, this decision shows the potential for UEFA to adopt a country-by-country policy based on the specifics of existing domestic legislation and local football culture.”
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