More than 50 participants from EU Member States and Iceland attended the CEPOL course 58/2015 “Pan-European football security training”, organised from 6 to 10 July by the German Police University
in Muenster, Germany. The aim of this activity was to make policing in football matches more effective and harmonised within Europe.
Football is among the most popular sports in Europe gathering a huge number of spectators every weekend to peacefully cheer for their teams. In these events a positive experience for visitors and other stakeholders needs to be ensured, and police cooperation becomes essential, especially during international matches.
Experts delivered contributions on the following topics:
- Legal background of police cooperation in Europe
- Intelligence gathering and information exchange
- Police cooperation during the FIFA World Cup 2014
- Crowd management in football events
- Stadium safety and security
- Football and violence in the media
- Football security in Germany
- Preparations for the European Championship 2016 in France
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Participants visited the stadium of the club Bayer 04 Leverkusen and learned about the latest developments in technology applied to security as well as experiences from the local police at Champions League matches. The panel on “freedom vs. security” engaged students in a lively and open discussion with experts on Fan culture as well as from EUROPOL and the German Football Association. Working groups covered topics such as travel and transportation to the stadium, the relationship between police and supporters or legal aspects of safety at international football events.
Discussion on best practices and experiences at national level in the context of football matches took place during the course. Course organisers hope that the personal contacts and networking made during the activity as well as the knowledge gained will broaden participants’ perspectives and will benefit their daily work.
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