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Fans barred from Northern Ireland match in Georgia
14 Feb
Summary
- Northern Ireland's September Nations League game in Georgia will be behind closed doors.
- The Georgian FA received sanctions for past crowd disorder violations.
- Fans were not informed prior to booking travel to Georgia.
Northern Ireland's opening Nations League fixture against Georgia, scheduled for September 25, will be contested without any spectators. This measure follows sanctions imposed on the Georgian Football Federation by UEFA due to breaches of regulations and crowd disturbances during a previous match. The Irish Football Association acknowledged the disappointment for supporters unable to attend.
Fans expressed significant frustration, with some having already booked flights to Georgia before being notified of the closed-door policy. Concerns were raised about the lack of timely communication and the perceived unfairness of punishing Northern Ireland fans for the misconduct of others. The Irish FA has stated it was not informed of the sanctioning ahead of fixture announcements and has raised the matter with UEFA.
