England fans told not to travel to Croatia game

Croatia will be forced to serve out the second of a two-match punishment for having a swastika on the pitch during a European Championship qualifier against Italy in June 2015, by playing England in the Nations League behind closed doors.

The FA announced that they had explored various different options, but that the most suitable decision would be for England fans to stay away altogether from the fixture on 12th October. 

The statement read: ''Following discussions with both the police and the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU), it has been agreed for safety and security reasons that the FA will not be issuing any tickets to ESTC members for our fixture against Croatia.

''The decision to play the match behind closed doors was made by UEFA and completes a two-game stadium ban ordered after a swastika was marked on the pitch ahead of a 2016 UEFA European Championship qualifier against Italy.

"The FA had been exploring all options to secure a number of tickets for our members to attend this match.

"However, the FA takes the safety and security of its members extremely seriously and, following consultations with the police and the UKFPU, we agreed that it would be unsafe for fans to attend the fixture - either through the FA delegation of tickets or through other means.

"For these reasons, we strongly advise against any of our members travelling for the fixture.

"We appreciate that those members who have already made their travel and/or accommodation plans will be naturally disappointed by this decision but we hope that you understand the reasons for doing so."