The City of Brussels reported nearly €70,000 in damage at King Baudouin Stadium due to the violence that followed Sunday's Belgian Cup final, Sports Alderman Florence Frelinx said on Tuesday evening.
The stadium was “devastated”, Ms. Frelinx said: around 500 seats were either ripped out or vandalised, the walls were covered in graffiti and stickers, flares burned the athletics track, sanitary facilities were destroyed, and all the walkways were littered with trash.
After the match, “supporters of both teams left the stadium in a catastrophic state,” the alderman added. “This has nothing to do with sport.”
She mentioned that players’ locker rooms were also left in a deplorable condition, and expressed concern over the lack of respect for the stadium’s cleaning crews.
In light of these incidents, the alderman feels strict penalties are needed. “Sport is a time for gathering and camaraderie. It’s unacceptable for a sports venue to be in such a state after a football match,” she said.
She intends to send the bill to the clubs. “It is certainly not up to the citizens to pay,” she stressed.
