Convicted Man City, Chelsea UK fans get Club World Cup travel ban

Around 150 Manchester City and Chelsea fans who have a history of violent conduct will be banned from travelling during the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States this summer, Britain’s interior ministry said on Wednesday. To help prevent soccer-related disorder at the tournament, fans of the clubs who are already subject to a football banning order for previous thuggish behaviour will be forced to surrender their passports to the police from June 9-July 13.
“Many Manchester City and Chelsea fans will want to travel to support their teams in this summer’s tournament and we want them all to do so safely and enjoyably,” Policing Minister Diana Johnson said in a statement. “But for the tiny minority of troublemakers who use football as an excuse for criminality, we will be applying the same proven preventative measures that we have successfully done for other overseas tournaments.” The government office said updated legislation came into force Wednesday for the FIFA-organized June 14 to July 13 tournament being played in 11 U.S. cities. They are scheduled to play initial group stage games in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Orlando. Chelsea and Man City qualified for the 32-team event by winning a Champions League title in the past four seasons.
The fans in question will be contacted by the Football Banning Orders Authority, the statement said, adding that failure to comply with the rule could result in an unlimited fine or a possible six-month prison sentence. There were 2,172 football banning orders in force in England and Wales, according to data from last year.
 For the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, 99% of fans subject to a banning order handed over their passports, the government said, adding that 126 fans from England and Wales were arrested in Germany.