The Croatia vs. England match is witnessing a special fan presence in the stands, despite Croatia being sanctioned with a ban on fans entering the stadium for the match.
The Croatian national team is preparing to face England in the third round of the UEFA Nations League at Rijeka Stadium.
Croatia was previously punished by a ban on fans attending matches at their home stadium in the competition following racist chants against France in the previous edition.
The match will be held at Rijeka Stadium, which has a capacity of 8,279 spectators, but approximately 6,100 fans are expected to attend, equivalent to 75% of the stadium's seating capacity.
The Athletic network revealed how the Croatian Football Federation will circumvent the sanction decision.
Article 73 of UEFA's disciplinary regulations stipulates a series of exceptions for those permitted to attend matches played behind closed doors.
This typically includes individuals attending in a professional capacity, such as media personnel, security staff, stadium employees, and UEFA representatives.
However, local children under the age of 14 are allowed to attend. The regulations specify an exception for "children up to the age of 14 (accompanied by an adult) from schools and/or football academies invited to the match free of charge."
