Representatives of more than 50 fan groups from German football clubs met in Berlin and criticized several current police operations. They also expressed contradictions in the security debate. On the other hand, there are calls for tougher regulations from the police and politicians.
The fans came together in Berlin on Saturday. “Alarming” In a joint statement they mention the development in German stadiums and speak of “disproportionate police violence”. Two examples are mentioned: Bayern Munich fans got into a conflict with the police during the game at Borussia Dortmund, Hertha BSC fans criticized a police operation at the home game against Schalke 04. There were several injured in each case. Hertha BSC then stood behind the fans and announced that the police operations “no longer consistently de-escalating” would be perceived. Werder Bremen fans also clashed with the police at the Werder game in Wolfsburg.
“Currently hardly a weekend goes by without such incidents”says Danny Graupner, a spokesman for the alliance, to the Sportschau. He suspects a systematic approach that, in his view, is… “Strategy of the hardliners from the interior and police authorities is”. Images and headlines that are as shocking as possible “are intended to support the narrative that the stadiums are not safe”.
According to official police statistics, the number of injuries and investigations initiated at football games in Germany fell in the 2024/25 season compared to the previous season.
See police and domestic politics Need for action at Stadium security
The chairman of the GdP police union, Jochen Kopelke, also recently spoke in a statement “increasing violence in and around the stadiums”. However, he sees the responsibility on the other side. “The current situation between ultra groups and the police is alarming: attacks on emergency services show an increase in escalation. Violent ultras and hooligans not only endanger police officers, but also the majority of peaceful fans.”said Kopelke. He also called on the clubs to take action against “Riolencers from our own ranks” to proceed.
German domestic politics and the police therefore see a need for further action in stadium security and point to incidents like the one in Magdeburg. According to the police, 70 officers were injured there in the second division game between 1. FC Magdeburg and Dynamo Dresden in January. A man has been charged with attempted murder. The DFB sports court took a measure that has become rare and ordered Magdeburg fans to be partially excluded from a home game.
Interior ministers threaten to issue bills for police costs
The blame game between fans and the police comes amid a debate about security in German stadiums that is currently becoming more heated. The interior ministers of North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony, Herbert Reul and Armin Schuster (both CDU), recently openly threatened in a joint interview with “Kicker” that in the future invoices for police costs might be written to the clubs if football does not ensure more security in the stadiums. The Federal Constitutional Court decided in 2025 that federal states could allow professional football to contribute to the additional costs of police operations in high-risk games.
The two Interior Ministers Herbert Reul (North Rhine-Westphalia) and Armin Schuster (Saxony), both CDU
The two interior ministers brought further measures into play. “In the instrument box” It is also important not to grant permission for the organization of games, said Schuster and added: “These are not threats, these are logical consequences.” The Conference of Interior Ministers meets on June 17th, Reul and Schuster demanded results by the summer.
New Stadium ban guidelines as a sticking point
The required results and the discussion are primarily about stadium bans. The DFB and DFL were put under pressure by politicians, but initially averted blanket measures such as block closures, reduced guest contingents or personalized tickets in the negotiations. Instead, they wanted to focus more on individual perpetrators and reformulate the DFB’s stadium ban guidelines.
Protest among fans of Schalke 04 against a new version of the stadium ban guidelines
The core of the DFB and DFL’s project: A so-called “technical supervision” at the DFB is intended to ensure that the stadium ban committees at the clubs work under the same conditions and apply the guidelines uniformly. Fan associations criticize the possible consequence that the local commissions will be disempowered, even though they could best assess the cases on site. According to Kicker, VfB Stuttgart openly spoke out against the new requirements at the DFB and DFL. While the police and politicians are in favor of new guidelines, the fan scenes speak of one thing “another, powerful tool of repression”.
Stadium bans
Stadium bans have been a point of contention between fans, associations and politicians for years. They are not a sanction in the sense of criminal law, but are based on the organizer’s house rules. They are considered a preventive measure to prevent misconduct. Fan alliances repeatedly criticize a “parallel justice system” in which guilt does not have to be proven. In their view, many stadium bans are imposed unjustified. Politicians, on the other hand, see stadium bans as an important instrument to keep disruptors away from the games. The police regularly criticize the clubs for being too cautious. The Federal Constitutional Court ruled in 2018 that stadium bans are generally permissible, but that they should not be set “arbitrarily” and must be “based on an objective reason.”
It is still unclear when exactly and in what wording the DFB Executive Board will decide on the stadium ban guidelines. After a DFL information event in mid-March, the clubs were supposed to present their assessments. Fan scene spokesman Graupner warns that the DFB and DFL should not forget the value that the fan scenes have for the leagues in Germany. “Other leagues in Europe may be stronger in terms of sport or economics, but German football is currently in a strong position when it comes to the atmosphere in the stadiums. It shouldn’t put that at risk.”
