The Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) has labelled the influx of Djurgarden fans into the home section of Stamford Bridge during Thursday's Conference League semi-final second leg as 'the most serious breach of stadium security in recent memory.'
During the match, numerous supporters of the Swedish club were spotted leaping over the barriers between home and away sections to connect with fellow fans situated in the Shed End, normally reserved for visiting crowds.
Additional reports suggest a substantial contingent of Djurgarden fans, potentially numbering up to 1,000, occupied the West Stand, prompting stewards to move Chelsea fans from their seats and call for extra police presence.
On Thursday, CST made an appeal for witness accounts through an established forum, intending to collate evidence to present to Chelsea.
The trust is pressing the club to conduct an exhaustive review into how such a significant number of rival supporters obtained tickets for the wrong areas and to scrutinise the adequacy of the club's security measures.
CST emphasised in their statement: "During Thursday’s UEFA Conference League vs. Djurgarden, a huge number of away supporters were able to infiltrate large areas of the home end.
"This is the most serious breach of stadium security in recent memory, and it significantly undermines any security protocols Chelsea FC put in place ahead of the fixture. As a result, the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust will formally write a letter of complaint to Chelsea FC’s COO and Head of Security.
"We will call for a formal investigation by the club into the ticket sales process and Chelsea FC’s security response during the match. The findings of this investigation and any subsequent recommendations must be made available to supporters."
Chelsea, through their social media channels on Thursday night, acknowledged that home fans had to be relocated due to a breach of their ticketing policy by supporters of the Swedish team.
A club statement said: "We will be reviewing all ticketing arrangements following this evening’s match and commit to implementing all necessary changes following this review.
"We will also share all our findings with the Fan Advisory Board."
Despite their side's 1-0 defeat on the night, culminating in a 5-1 aggregate exit from the competition, the visiting fans allocated to the correct section still managed to generate an electric atmosphere.
CST added: "It is important to note that the CST shared concerns with senior club officials over the vulnerability of home areas ahead of this fixture.
"No supporter should feel unsafe while at Stamford Bridge, and the CST will do everything to ensure that a full and proper explanation is issued to supporters and safeguards are put in place to ensure that this situation is not repeated in the future."
UEFA is reportedly waiting for match reports before deciding on any further action. Insiders close to UEFA have highlighted that the responsibility for ticketing at the match lay with Chelsea.
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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