Croatia to Host England Nations League Match with Thousands of Children in Attendance Despite Ban

UEFA has ruled that Croatia's Nations League clash against England in Rijeka must be played behind closed doors, a consequence of crowd disturbances that occurred during a match against France last year. However, the 8,200-capacity HNK Rijeka Stadium is expected to be filled with thousands of local schoolchildren.

Crowd disturbances prior to and during Croatia's defeat against France in Paris resulted in the penalty. During the incident, seven fans were arrested for alleged Nazi salutes and police reportedly found weapons among Croatian supporters. UEFA issued the punishment in February, which also affected Croatia's recent 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic in Prague, a match also held without their own supporters.

The Football Association had secured 100 tickets for England supporters with the most away caps for the match. Despite the ban on regular fans, UEFA rules permit children under 14 to attend matches designated as 'behind closed doors' free of charge, provided they are accompanied by teachers or parents. As of last week, the Croatian FA was planning for approximately 3,000 schoolchildren to be admitted. Additionally, UEFA allows complimentary tickets for affiliate partners and each team is allocated 20 VIP guest spots.

In other team news, Nico O’Reilly has returned to Manchester City due to an injury that prevented him from playing in the recent win against the Czech Republic.