1,000 FC Basel fans turned up at the 🇫🇷-🇮🇹 border on Thursday morning heading to Nice for their #UECL QF.
They were turned away by the police. What happened next only serves to demonstrate how wrong the authorities were & how brilliant, spontaneous & vital football fans are. 👇
The 🇫🇷 authorities cited the expected protests in the country, limited police resources & incidents during Marseille-FCB last year as reasons for their decision.
Nevertheless, the FCB fans pivoted to plan B, their convoy made up of 19 buses & cars began a different journey.
Rather than express their frustration and cause trouble in their significant numbers, the fans headed to San Remo instead, a city in northwestern Italy.
Why there? Well, it isn't quite Nice, but it is close enough and removed the possibility of persecution by the French police.
The large group of fans marched peacefully towards the center, splitting off into groups upon arrival and crowding the bars and restaurants for lunch, dinner and drinks.
Of course, there was still the small matter of watching the match itself. There was a plan for this also...
With the aid of a portable projector and large canvas, the group set up a viewing area near the Ariston theater to watch the match. Football was even played with the locals.
A heavy police presence was evident in fear of unrest before or after the game. It didn't happen.
The dream scenario played out on the pitch and FCB fans even helped to clean up the square before the final whistle of their cans and bottles.
After the celebrations, the convoy departed from where it came. It wasn't Nice, but the best was made of a bad situation.
A story that should rightly bring praise and credit to the FCB fans, but also highlights the continued unjust scrutiny that football fans are placed under for unfair reasons.
And if anything, the ban for the fans only inspired their team more to get a result for their "12th man"
Much of the info/pictures in this thread came from information from @max_ambesi. And also this article from Sanremo News:
sanremonews.it/2023/04/20/mob…
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