In a recent interview, Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister, Daniela Behrens, stated that she would consider passing on additional costs for police deployments at high-risk Bundesliga matches to the German Football League (DFL) if the clubs fail to address the issue of violence in the stadiums. “If nothing changes, we need to discuss the question of fees as a last resort” Behrens told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.
Earlier this week, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that a similar regulation would be constitutionally sound in principle. Behrens described the decision as “impressive” because “the clubs must now deal with the issue.” The clubs, she added, have the opportunity to improve security in the stadiums through measures such as improved entrance controls, personalized tickets, and structural changes, as well as the use of advanced security technology.
Behrens emphasized that passing on costs to the clubs should only be the last resort. “As a general principle, the idea of the police becoming a service that can be booked for an event goes against my grain” she said. “It’s not in the taxpayer’s best interest either.”
Behrens acknowledged that the high costs of police deployments at high-risk matches can be frustrating for many people. However, she noted that professional football in Germany cannot take place without police presence, which is a unique circumstance compared to other sports.