West Ham United are keen to ensure their Europa League semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt passes without trouble, with extra police officers called in to help control potential unrest in the stands.
There are fears that the German side will bring over thousands of ticketless supporters for the first leg of the tie on Thursday week, after 30,000 arrived for their quarter-final success over Barcelona.
But discussions have already taken place and are continuing between both clubs, the London Stadium operators and police over how to control the much anticipated clash. Extra stewards are also set to be put in place for what will be one of the biggest matches hosted at the ground since West Ham moved in from Upton Park ahead of the 2016-17 season.
According to the Mirror there will be ‘enhanced steward and security resources and this will be integrated with significant police planning.’
Chaos ensued during Frankfurt’s quarter-final victory at Barcelona when around 15,000 of the travelling fans were able to buy tickets in the home areas of the stadium leading to Nou Camp president Joan Laporta calling the situation a ‘disgrace’ that left him ‘feeling embarrassed’.
Barcelona boss Xavi claimed the breach had an impact on the overall result of the tie, with Frankfurt’s 3-2 win on the night allowing them to progress 4-3 on aggregate.
Xavi said: ‘The players did not feel like they were playing at home.
‘It’s not an excuse, but the atmosphere conditioned us. We were not comfortable. I had a bad feeling from the first moment when we got on the bus at the hotel and we did not feel at home.’
Chances of a similar event were heightened when West Ham had initially claimed that any unsold tickets offered to club members would go on general sale on Thursday.
Credit: dailymail.co.uk
