LONDON — About 150 fans of Chelsea and Manchester City must give police their passports to prevent travel to the United States for the Club World Cup tournament, the British government said Wednesday.
The fans are subject to so-called banning orders for “previous thuggish behavior” connected to soccer, the Home Office ministry said, listing offenses such as “violence, disorder, pitch invasions, use of pyrotechnics and online hate crime.”
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.
Chelsea and Man City qualified for the 32-team event by winning a Champions League title in the past four seasons.
They are scheduled to play initial group stage games in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Orlando.
Fans subject to a banning order must surrender their passport at least five days before the tournament kicks off in Miami through the final being played near New York.
“Those who fail to comply with police or attempt to travel will face a hefty fine with no limit, or in severe circumstances could face up to six months in prison,” the government said.
The interior ministry said 2,172 banning orders were in force in England and Wales at the start of the season.
The bans apply to international travel for England national team games along with the World Cup and European Championship tournaments.
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.
