Royal Antwerp FC had over a thousand fans banned at the last minute from attending the away match at Standard Liège. The decision by the mayor of Liège, made just one day before the game, sparked major anger at the club. According to In de Hekken, the official reason was a shortage of police personnel to guarantee safety.
The club had already sold tickets and arranged buses for the trip to the Stade Maurice Dufrasne, where the away section was required to remain empty. Antwerp reacted furiously, calling the move "unprecedented and totally disrespectful". The club warned of a dangerous precedent where local authorities can decide shortly before a match whether visiting fans are welcome. Antwerp currently sits tenth in the Jupiler Pro League with seven points from five games and a goal difference of ten scored and ten conceded.
The ban was only announced on the eve of the match. This left supporters and the club itself facing significant costs. Royal Antwerp FC is investigating whether these costs, including the organised bus transport and already sold tickets, can be claimed from the city of Liège. The club encouraged fans to follow the match from their own supporters' pubs. Meanwhile, the players were given extra motivation to bring the three points home, the club stated.
Antwerp said it would discuss its position later regarding the return match when Standard visits the Bosuil Stadium. It remained unclear whether Standard supporters would be welcome then. The situation puts pressure on the relationship between the clubs and the authorities. The club stressed that such arbitrariness opens the door for more matches without away fans. In the title race, the Reds are currently six points behind leaders Union Saint-Gilloise.
On match day itself, the ban was unexpectedly reversed. The U-turn likely occurred because the mayor did not want Antwerp supporters to still travel to Liège. The Standard vs Antwerp match was therefore played with visiting supporters present. A message about this appeared on the Facebook page of Antwerp Dynamite. The next challenge for Antwerp is a trip to Club Brugge, who are second in the standings, on September 13, 2026. The full schedule can be found on our fixtures page.
