Bayern Munich fans banned from away leg of UEFA Champions League quarterfinal

Bayern beat Lazio 3-1 on aggregate to reach the last eight. The draw for the quarterfinals will take place on Friday with the first legs to be played on April 9-10, and the second legs on April 16-17.

FILE PHOTO: Bayern Munich fans wave their scarves and flags prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16, second-leg football match between FC Bayern Munich and Lazio. | Photo Credit: AFP

Bayern Munich fans have been banned from attending the away leg of its UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie after its supporters threw fireworks onto the pitch during its 3-1 win at Lazio earlier this month, the club said on Tuesday.

UEFA fined Bayern 40,000 euros after travelling fans set off fireworks during its 2-1 win at Copenhagen in October. Bayern were given a suspended one-match ban from purchasing away tickets in December. The incident at Lazio triggered the ban.

The club will not appeal UEFA’s decision, Bayern said in a statement.

“We have to accept this punishment. Not only were pyrotechnics set off, but also fired deliberately onto the field, directly endangering bystanders,” Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said.

“This was such an explicit violation of the conditions of probation that an appeal is unfortunately futile. The fact we now have to play away without the support of our fans is a big blow. A small group of individual offenders have done a disservice to all our supporters and the team,” he said.

Bayern beat Lazio 3-1 on aggregate to reach the last eight. The draw for the quarterfinals will take place on Friday. The first legs will be played on April 9-10, and the second legs are scheduled for April 16-17.