Uefa has decided to ban vuvuzelas from all European competition following their use at the World Cup.
Instruments banned from all European competition
Uefa has decided to ban vuvuzelas from all European competition following their use at the World Cup.
The plastic horns were a hallmark of this summer's tournament in South Africa, where fans produced a monotonous droning throughout entire matches, a noise which was described as akin to a hornet's nest.
A number of clubs across Europe have since banned the instruments from their grounds and Uefa has now ruled out their use in Champions League, Europa League and European Championship games, including qualifiers.
A Uefa statement read: "The World Cup was characterised by the vuvuzela's widespread and permanent use in the stands.
"In the specific context of South Africa, the vuvuzela adds a touch of local flavour and folklore, but Uefa feels that the instrument's widespread use would not be appropriate in Europe, where a continuous loud background noise would be emphasised.
"Uefa is of the view that the vuvuzelas would completely change the atmosphere, drowning supporter emotions and detracting from the experience of the game.
"To avoid the risk of these negative effects in the stadiums where Uefa competitions are played and to protect the culture and tradition of football in Europe ... Uefa has decided with immediate effect that vuvuzelas will not be allowed in the stadiums where Uefa competitions matches are played."
The use of vuvuzelas was met with contrasting opinions this summer, as while some fans thought they brought character to the World Cup, others were extremely critical and claimed they ruined the atmosphere inside the grounds.
Indeed, a number of players complained that they could not hear their team-mates on the pitch or even the referee's whistle, and there were calls to ban the instrument before the competition began.
