The Bundesliga side confirmed the decision on Friday, expressing frustration that its appeal to Europe’s football governing body had been turned down. Frankfurt had argued that the absence of away fans created an unfair sporting disadvantage and cited ongoing safety concerns at Napoli’s Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The fan ban was imposed by Italian authorities on September 22, who prohibited Napoli from allocating tickets to Frankfurt supporters, citing fears of potential violence between rival fan groups. The decision rekindled tensions from last year’s Champions League encounters between the two clubs, when serious disturbances broke out in both Frankfurt and Naples.
“It’s unacceptable that in most places away fans are welcomed as a matter of course despite major challenges, while in others — most recently in France and Italy — away supporters are simply excluded by authorities in spite of identical circumstances and risks,” Frankfurt board member Philipp Reschke said in a statement.
Reschke criticized UEFA’s regulatory framework, arguing that it lacks clear provisions to protect clubs facing unilateral bans on their supporters. “UEFA regulations do not yet provide clubs who are unilaterally affected by official bans on away fans, or even the association itself, with any means of countering – or at least offsetting – this practice and the resulting atmospheric and competitive disadvantage on the pitch,” he said.
Frankfurt’s tensions with Italian authorities date back to 2023, when its fans were also barred from attending the second leg of a Champions League round-of-16 tie in Naples following crowd trouble during the first leg in Germany. Since that incident, Frankfurt claims there have been 15 other cases of away fan bans in UEFA club competitions.
The debate over fan restrictions extends beyond Germany and Italy. In England, West Midlands Police recently prohibited Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending a Europa League match at Aston Villa on November 6, citing security concerns — a move that drew sharp criticism from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called the ban disproportionate.
With UEFA unwilling to intervene in such cases, Frankfurt’s latest protest underscores a growing frustration among clubs and fans who see blanket bans as an erosion of the atmosphere and fairness that define European competition.