The 36 clubs of the 1. and 2. Bundesliga agreed to new security measures after recent violent encounters between Hannover 96 and Dynamo Dresden fans in the domestic cup competition. The clubs had to act and tighten security measures after violent offences reached a 12 year peak. The clubs agreed to the new proposals on Wednesday in Frankfurt without any fan involvement.
German football always had a reputation to be the most fan-friendly in Europe and it is well known for the cheering fans, packed standing areas and the amazing atmosphere in the stadia’s. However, Currently, each Bundesliga away team receives a mandatory ticket allowance of 10% of the capacity of the stadium – a crucial factor why the Bundesliga has such a vibrant atmosphere. However, that also means that Schalke receives 8,000 tickets for the Dortmund – Schalke games at the Signal Iduna Park – one of the biggest rivalries in Germany. Widespread violence and security issues were always expected and reported. Fans were threatened that the mandatory allocation would be reduced to 5%. However, the DFB decided to keep the 10% in place, but gave clubs the power to limit allocations for specific opponents and only “with good reason”. The second major point was that proper training and certification for match stewards and security staff will and must be provided. Security will certainly increase around football games.
The football culture in Germany is crucial and it is one of the factors why the Bundesliga is the highest attended league in the world with a match-day average that is 10,000 above the Premier League’s. The cheap standing ticket for Borussia Dortmund is less than £15 for adults. Reinhard Rauball, President of the DFB said: “It was an important day for professional football, but there’s no feeling of triumph or something like that. It was a day when we had to do what is necessary for our security in the stadia.”
Fans are already demonstrating against the changes with their 12:12 campaign. At recent games, they didn’t sing or chant for the first 12 minutes and 12 seconds and more demonstrations are expected.
