Croatia's UEFA Nations League group stage match against England kicked off at 5pm this evening (Saturday, October 3) at the Stadion Rujevica in Rijeka. UEFA officials mandated the match be played entirely behind closed doors as a direct disciplinary response to crowd trouble during a previous international break.
However, due to a loophole, 6,000 schoolchildren, accompanied by adults, are present and in the crowd, with ITV commentator Sam Matterface commenting on the "very strange" atmosphere due to the number of screaming voices from fans whose voices are yet to break.
Punishment explained
This specific punishment can be traced back to incidents that took place during the Croatian national team's Nations League quarter-final matches against France in March 2025. During these fixtures, several instances of racism and discriminatory behaviour from the stands were officially reported by the attending match delegates.
Alongside the ban, UEFA fined Croatia £79,000 and ordered them to cover the costs of repairs after fans caused damage to the Stade de France in the return leg, reports the Mirror.
One-match ban and travel prohibition
After a comprehensive review of the submitted evidence, the European governing body ultimately decided to impose a one-match home stadium ban on the Croatian Football Federation. As this weekend's match is their first home fixture in a recognised UEFA competition since the ruling was finalised, the Rijeka-based arena will remain partially empty. Essential personnel, coaching staff, and media representatives will be allowed entry.
The regulatory committee took things a step further by concurrently imposing a distinct one-match travel prohibition on away supporters following the national team. This particular ruling guarantees that no travelling fans will be allowed to attend their upcoming scheduled away match in the competition.
Complimentary tickets for England fans
After talks between England and UEFA, the Three Lions were awarded 100 free tickets. In a statement, the official England Supporters Travel Club said: "We're pleased to confirm that, following discussions with UEFA, a small delegation of England Supporters Travel Club members will be permitted to attend England's UEFA Nations League fixture against Croatia on Saturday, October 3. The match will be played behind closed doors following a UEFA sanction against Croatia. However, we have been granted permission to allocate 100 complimentary tickets to active 2026-2028 England Supporters Travel Club members, giving a small number of our supporters the opportunity to attend the fixture."
