Euro 2024 is not only a celebration of football, but also a headache for law enforcement and security services. That is why strict security rules are now in place throughout Germany.
Photo: Getty ImagesInterior Minister Nancy Feser recently explained the dangers that the tournament faces: "Our focus ranges from the threat of Islamist terror and cyberattacks to ordinary criminals and hooligans." But the Germans are also paying special attention to the Ukrainian national team because of the war and Russian aggression.
As Nancy Feather explained in a May interview with the Rheinische Post: "We protect all teams, fans and guests. This is especially true for the Ukrainian team: we do everything possible to ensure their safety in Germany."
We would like to remind you that our national team will play matches in Munich, Düsseldorf and Stuttgart. This means that we also need to solve the problem of safe logistics.
The German publication t-online reports that the Hesse Police Network, the State Criminal Police Office, the Federal Police and the Federal Criminal Police Office will be responsible for the protection of Ukraine during Euro 2024. The police headquarters in Frankfurt am Main will coordinate the protection of the team.
Expert comment: Malte Roschinski is the managing director of Plan4Risk, a security services company that also advises various companies on security issues.
"The Euro is definitely an emergency situation," the expert says, "It can be compared to the G20 summit in Hamburg in 2017, but the Euro is much bigger and covers the whole of Germany. In addition to teams, venues and large and small public events need to be protected. We need to understand that the threat of terrorism is always hanging over everyone.
For example, ordinary fans can interfere with traffic, so it is difficult to estimate the number of police officers. It always depends on the conditions: how big the team hotel is, what kind of hotel it is, and how the team will travel to the stadium.
In the case of the Ukrainian team, everything is different," the expert notes: "Here, of course, a police operation must be considered and planned in the context of war. Russia has clear strategic interests in Europe that it wants to realize through hybrid warfare. This may include acts of sabotage against infrastructure, as well as social division through disinformation campaigns and delegitimization of the opponent.
The Ukrainian team is a symbol of the country, and for this reason alone, it is in the Kremlin's sights. For example, Russia could try to get closer to the Ukrainians with the help of intelligence agents. One of the goals could be to obtain compromising materials that would damage Ukraine's reputation. Some video of Ukrainian players having fun until late at night in a nightclub would be enough," Roszczynski believes.
In addition, situational threats are possible," the expert adds. "The danger can come from pro-Russian people. The potential of such threats ranges from throwing stones at the command bus or holding some pro-Russian rallies to planned attacks.
The authorities always have to prioritize which risks they consider more significant. But the Ukrainian national team is definitely well protected. In addition to reliable units, well-armed police forces may appear near the team and the hotel. For this purpose, plainclothes police officers will be deployed in a larger radius around the hotel."
