“Die Welt zu Gast bei Freunden” (The world as a guest with friends) was the official slogan of the 2006 Football World Cup in Germany. And indeed, riots by fans were among the exceptions. It remained calm in the stadiums and the most memorable images were of fans celebrating peacefully in the public screening areas. This was also thanks to the numerous preventive measures taken by the various security authorities to ward off terrorism and curb hooliganism.
Ukraine and Israel as risk factors
The European Football Championship will take place in Germany from 14 June to 14 July 2024 and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin is confident that the Germans will once again be good organisers this summer. However, in an interview with the English newspaper “The Telegraph”, he also emphasised his concerns regarding the tense global security situation. Security is his biggest concern.Not all qualification places for the tournament have been allocated yet. A total of 16 teams are still playing for a place in the final round of the European Championship in March.
With regard to the possible participation of Israel or Ukraine, the state chairman of the GdP NRW, Michael Mertens, replied: “Then the security aspect must be significantly stepped up again – especially if Israel were to take part in the European Championship. The images of the 1972 Olympics immediately come to mind.” Andreas Roßkopf, Chairman of the GdP Federal Police/Customs, said that the deployment of forces would be of particular interest if one of the two teams were to take part. In particular, the accommodation sites and stadiums as well as the routes between them would then be subject to increased surveillance
Meeting with the Minister of the Interior
Ceferin has already met twice with Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) to discuss security issues, most recently during the memorial service for Franz Beckenbauer. Further meetings are planned due to the geopolitical situation. On the occasion of the 5th meeting of the National Coordination Committee for the European Championships, Faeser was optimistic: “Preparations are in full swing. For me, security is the top priority. We will make the European Football Championship a safe tournament – for everyone in our country and for our guests from all over the world.” In addition to the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Home Affairs (BMI) and the German Football Association (DFB), other federal ministries, UEFA, EURO 2024 GmbH, the ten host cities, the federal states and other stakeholders will also take part in the meetings.
The federal and state security authorities are involved in intensive preparations and the cooperation with international partners is excellent, explained Faeser. “Our focus ranges from protecting against hooligans, crime and extremist threats to cyber security and preparing for severe storms or other natural events. We are well prepared,” continued the Minister of the Interior. It is recognised that the emergency services “will be the face of the host country Germany in everyday tournament life”, which is why they will receive special training in dealing with operational situations during the European Championships.
Security authorities prepared
The International Police Cooperation Centre (IPCC) in Neuss is at the heart of international cooperation. It serves to exchange information and coordinate the international delegation forces from all over Europe. Tournament-related and security-relevant information is to be analysed in the IPCC. “This ranges from general, organised or politically motivated crime to hooliganism and the monitoring of demonstrations in the vicinity of tournament venues,” says the BMI. An IT guideline from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) was used to sensitise those involved in the tournament to how to deal with potential cyber attacks. In addition, the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) offers comprehensive training and further education programmes for all those involved.
