On Monday, Rangers fans were told they would not be allowed into the stadium because of a government ruling
Rangers fans will now be allowed to attend Thursday’s Europa League match at Lyon after a ban issued by the government was overturned.
The news comes less than 24 hours after Rangers were informed their supporters would not be allowed into the stadium because of a government ruling.
The Scottish champions were due to take 2,200 supporters to France for their final group game, in which they will qualify for the next round should they avoid defeat to the Group A leaders.
On Monday, the club released a statement announcing that they had been informed by the French interior minister that away supporters would not be allowed entry due to a ‘festival of light planned in the city which will test the policing resource and city infrastructure.’
However, fans now been told that they are “welcome” to travel and support the Light Blues at the Groupama Stadium.
There will be a mix of delight and frustration amongst the Rangers fanbase, as some supporters went ahead and cancelled their travel plans after the initial announcement.
Officials were put under pressure by supporters groups in both the United Kingdom and France, with Rangers releasing a statement on Tuesday to provide an update on the situation.
🎉 The ministerial order banning #Rangers fans from travelling to Lyon has been withdrawn. This means that the 2000 Rangers fans with an away sector ticket are free to go to the game.
👏 Thanks again to @A_N_Supporters for helping to defend fans‘ rights. https://t.co/pFkLkpg3aZ
— FSE – Football Supporters Europe (@FansEurope) December 7, 2021
The statement reads: “This morning [Tuesday], we have been informed that the previous decision by the French government regarding our away ticket allocation has now been overturned.
“Rangers Football Club finds itself in an almost impossible situation.
“We welcome the updated position that our supporters are now able to access the stadium on Thursday night in Lyon, France. Nevertheless, we understand that the situation continues to cause uncertainty and frustration with many supporters having cancelled their flights and/or accommodation.
“We are currently dealing with CTM and Sports Options to ascertain if they now intend to travel to this match. Our corporate flight which was cancelled yesterday cannot be rearranged due to the short timescale involved.
“We are currently liaising with OL [Lyon] regarding ticket distribution arrangements for those supporters who manage to make alternative travel arrangements to the match. A further communication will be available later today or early tomorrow to confirm uplift arrangements.
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused to our support who will share our frustration at this situation.”
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side come into their final Europa League group stage fixture in good form, having won all of their last four fixtures.
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