KAA Gent football club would hereby like to inform its fans of the official letter of complaint we have sent to the Spanish National Police (‘La Policía Nacional’) in Madrid and in Valencia.
Read the Dutch version of this letter here.
The letter is a joint initiative of KAA Gent, the Mayor of Ghent (Daniel Termont), the deputy chief of the Ghent Police Force (Wim Van Hulle) and the KAA Gent Supporters Federation.
The letter is intended for the Spanish National Police but we also sent it to the following organisations (see below) to inform them and with a strong plea to follow up this case.
We have sent this letter to the following departments and/or persons:
- The General Director of the Spanish National Police in Madrid, Don Ignacio Cosidó Gutiérrez
- The Head of International Cooperation of the Spanish National Police in Madrid, Don Mariano Germán Simancas Carrión.
- The Spanish National Police in Valencia
In our letter of complaint, we have also included the recommendations for international police cooperation and measures to prevent and control violence and disturbances in connections with football matches with an international dimension, which were laid down in a handbook that is approved by the EU Council Resolution of 3 June 2010 (OJ C 165, 24/06/2010, p. 1 – 21).
Following organisations have also received our official letter of complaint:
- UEFA
- The City of Valencia
- Valencia CF
- The Standing Committee of the European Convention on Spectator Violence
Not directed to the City of Valencia nor its citizens, nor to Valencia CF or its fans
Let us first and foremost make clear that this official letter of complaint is by no means directed to the City of Valencia nor its citizens, nor is it directed to Valencia CF or its fans.
Our protest is only directed against the way the Spanish ‘Policia Nacional’ has, without any probable cause, violated the civil rights and even physical integrity of fans of KAA Gent at the Champions League game between Valencia FC and KAA Gent on Tuesday October 20th 2015.
Excellent relationship with Valencia CF
The excellent cooperation with Valencia CF before and during our stay is in stark contrast with the treatment our fans have suffered at the hands of the Spanish National Police. We obviously wish to continue this excellent relationship with our Spanish colleagues.
A warm welcome in Valencia and in Ghent
KAA Gent and its fans have enjoyed a warm welcome in Valencia and in turn we will give Valencia CF and all the traveling fans a warm welcome in Ghent when we play them on the fourth of November in Group H of the Champions League.
By sending this letter we want to:
- Summon the Policia Nacional to provide us with an explication in writing as to the motivation of this unacceptable behaviour. Furthermore we summon the Policia Nacional to provide us with information where individual supporters can file a complaint for this brutal, rough and disproportionate police treatment.
- Ask Valencia FC to help KAA Gent to obtain the latter information from the Policia Nacional.
- Finally we ask UEFA to investigate the aforementioned facts and and subsequently take the necessary measures. KAA Gent and its supporters have clearly and objectively suffered an unfair treatment at Valencia. For many KAA Gent fans the ‘Policia Nacional treatment’ they suffered, has created disbelief in a fair and secure treatment for traveling supporters during European games. KAA Gent is worried this might mean they will no longer support their team on European away games.
Yours sincerely,
Michel Louwagie,
General Manager of KAA Gent.
