By Melody Gross 
Today, Benfica and Marseille, competitors in the Europa League quarter-finals, called on the police authorities in Portugal and France, in a joint statement, to ensure the presence of fans of the two clubs in the two matches.
This statement comes two days after the Gallic media announced that the local police, in the Bouches du Rhone area, wanted to prevent the movement of fans and members associated with the Lisbon club to prevent violence between Benfica and Marseille supporters. The decisive confrontation is in the return match scheduled for April 18.
“Benfica and Marseille call on the authorities of both countries to ensure that the Europa League quarter-final matches are held in the presence of fans of the two clubs, whether in the first leg or on Thursday, April 11, at the Estadio da Luz, as well as “in the return match, at the Velodrome,” this was stated in a note published on The official website of the Reds.
The French press added, on Friday, that French intelligence services had identified a group of between 200 and 300 Benfica fans with a violent history and belonging to extremist and violent groups.
Therefore, the police actually prefer to go ahead with the ban, because based on experience in other games, Portuguese fans usually travel and move in small groups, which makes it difficult for security forces to monitor them.
“In cooperation with UEFA and the authorities, the two clubs work closely to comply with all standards and ensure the highest standards of organization with regard to security,” defends the Lisbon crest.
The first match will be held on Thursday at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, followed by the return match a week later on French soil.