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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Dom Smith

Chelsea fans warned about ‘high-risk’ of trouble from Polish ultras at Legia Warsaw

Chelsea face Legia Warsaw in Poland on Thursday - (AP)

Chelsea fans have been advised not to wear Chelsea shirts in Poland for their Conference League clash with Legia Warsaw, amid fears of trouble.

Thursday’s quarter-final first leg has been identified as a “high-risk fixture” and Chelsea have been given an away allocation of just 742 due to safety concerns.

Legia Warsaw have a history of fan disorder and have received multiple bans and fines in recent years for the behaviour of their supporters.

In December 2023, Legia were fined €100,000 and banned from selling tickets for five European away games following disorder outside Villa Park at a Conference League fixture against Aston Villa. Supporters clashed with police officers, which led to 46 men being charged.

Legia Warsaw fans during a Conference League qualifying match against Caernarfon Town in Wales last August (Getty Images)

Legia were again fined last October after supporters defied a stadium ban and snuck into a Conference League game against Serbian side Backa Topola.

Chelsea are set for a hostile reception at the Marshall Jozef Pilsudski Legia Warsaw Stadium and the club has urged fans to “exercise caution and avoid confrontations where possible”.

A Chelsea statement providing travelling fans with information said: “We have been advised by Legia Warsaw and local authorities that visiting fans should attend the meeting point at the British Bulldog pub in central Warsaw prior to the fixture where free transportation will be provided to the stadium.”

It continued: “Supporters are advised that this is a high-risk fixture. Please exercise caution and avoid confrontations where possible.

“The local police recommend that Chelsea supporters avoid wearing Chelsea FC colours in Warsaw.”

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