What happened on Wednesday before the kick off of the Benfica Lisbon-PSG match (1-1)?

This Friday, October 7, two days after the meeting, testimonies from Parisian supporters present at the Luz stadium, in Lisbon, challenge.

"We are able to confirm testimonies detailing disproportionate body searches during the Benfica-PSG match. These testimonies were confirmed in interviews with several PSG supporters who were attending the match," Football Supporters Europe wrote on its Twitter account. .

In a press release, Benfica claims not to have been informed of any "irregularity" concerning the searches carried out by a certified external company, under the supervision of the Portuguese police and representatives of PSG.

In all high-level matches, the protocol provides for body searches of spectators by stewards to avoid the introduction of prohibited objects into the stadium enclosure – smoke bombs, for example.

According to testimonies collected by France Bleu radio, a Parisian supporter present Wednesday at the Luz stadium spoke of "shocking palpations, the hand inside (his) underwear for a good minute, before (him) put your hand for a long time in (his) crotch".

Another supporter accused a steward of having "palped her breasts for a long time".

"If I had known how to speak Portuguese, I could have filed a complaint for sexual assault", argued this ultra Parisian, named Juliette and quoted by France Bleu.

We are able to confirm the testimonies detailing invasive and disproportionate body searches during the Benfica-PSG match.

⁰⁰These testimonies were confirmed during interviews with several PSG supporters who attended the match.

1/2 https://t.co/XF0kIfd3aE

— FSE - Football Supporters Europe (@FansEurope) October 7, 2022

Already complaints after Benfica Lisbon-Maccabi Haifa

Other supporters mentioned palpations under the underwear or at the level of the genitals.

FSE, for its part, called on the supporters present in Lisbon to answer an online survey.

"We are studying the issue with the PSG groups, Adeptos Portugal (the Portuguese supporters' association), our network of Portuguese lawyers and have reported the problem to UEFA," said FSE.

Similar complaints had already been issued this season against Benfica.

On September 8, following the match between Benfica and Maccabi Haifa (2–0) in the Champions League, the Israeli club issued a press release asking for "explanations" from its Portuguese counterpart and UEFA concerning body searches deemed "offensive" carried out on his supporters.

With AFP

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