Authorities have imposed the equivalent of 4,700 years of stadium bans over the past five football seasons for violations of football law, according to the outgoing Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden.
This statistic was revealed by Verlinden's MP Franky Demon (CD&V), who obtained the figures from the minister, who is also his colleague from the party. Demon emphasises the need to better protect stadium stewards.
In the past five seasons, clubs in the 1A and 1B divisions have faced 4,658 administrative sanctions for breaches of football law. These sanctions amount to 56,885 months (approximately 4,700 years) of stadium bans and €2.73 million in fines. The number of bans varies between 600 and 1,200 each year.
Demon highlighted that 1A and 1B clubs do not record the number of times stewards have to confiscate items from supporters, nor the occasions when supporters refuse to comply and are denied entry. The number of confiscated items is also not documented. He stated that this issue is part of current government negotiations.
"Too often, stewards fall victim to violence from supporters," said Demon. "Stewards are a crucial component of club security in Belgium. They deserve more respect. If the enforcement of football law cannot be assured, more stewards will lose motivation. This must be prevented."
