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Fenerbahce forced to play behind closed doors, but fans still make it rain flares on the pitch

UEFA ordered Fenerbahce to play the second leg of their Europa League round of 32 tie against BATE behind closed doors as a result of fans throwing fireworks on the pitch during a match against Borussia Monchengladbach in December. Yet even with the stands empty, Fenerbache fans still managed to land flares on the pitch during the game, creating the strangely beautiful yet terrifying image of their commitment to hooliganry above.

According to Turkish-Football.com, Fenerbahce were given permission to put up a 157-foot LED screen outside the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium so fans could watch the game there. Tens of thousands of fans were expected to show up and it sounds like they fulfilled that expectation. From UEFA.com's match report:

The game was being played behind closed doors but the thousands of fans watching on a big screen outside the stadium made themselves heard. 'As if we were here' said a giant banner – it felt like they were.

After playing 87 minutes of the first leg with 10 men, Fener still earned a 0-0 draw. In the second leg, they scored the tie's only goal with a penalty just before halftime. And when they did, the massive crowd outside the stadium lit their flares and had themselves a big old street party.

Here's video...