French Parliament Passes Law To Fight Football Hooliganism

French Parliament on Thursday adopted, by unanimous vote, a law to fight football hooliganism and create a “French fan culture,” according to the AFP. The text establishes an official, at each professional club, “responsible for mediating with local supporters groups, a longstanding UEFA requirement.” The law allows clubs to “refuse the sale of tickets to certain spectators that are not officially banned by the stadium.” Until now, clubs “could not legally refuse the sale of tickets to anyone except those banned by the stadium.” The maximum administrative stadium ban “was raised from 12 to 24 months, and from 24 to 36 months for subsequent offenses.” It is now also possible to “transfer information relating to stadium bans to international sports organizations, like UEFA” (AFP, 4/28).