Fan alliance “Our Curve” reacts to the verdict

Clubs have to pay

“Stunned”: Fan alliance reacts to police costs ruling

The federal states are allowed to charge police costs for high-risk games in professional football. Now the fan alliance is reacting to the verdict.

The fan alliance “Our Curve” reacted with disbelief to the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court (BVG) in the case of police costs in German professional football. “It is to be feared that this will cause serious long-term damage to the state order of the Federal Republic of Germany,” said a statement in response to a request from the Sports Information Service.

Linda Röttig, a member of the board of the umbrella organization for fan aids, said in a statement: “Today’s ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court is a free pass for a police force that is becoming increasingly aggressive and martial.”

The BVG had previously rejected the complaint from the German Football League (DFL). The federal states are allowed to charge their police fees for high-risk games. The dispute had dragged on for ten years. Read more about this here.

“Our curve” was “stunned” by the verdict, it said: “In our opinion and in accordance with the views of countless experts, ensuring public security and order is a core task of the state.” According to the alliance, this will come from tax revenue that professional football already contributes to the tune of around 1.6 billion euros per year.

For Jost Peters, the verdict turns “police work into a simple service.” The first chairman of “Our Curve” demands: “It is now essential that the clubs are given decision-making power in police operational planning and that oversized police operations finally come to an end.”

Peters also advocates integrating the clubs’ supporters more. “Since fans in many locations are in close contact with their own club, their expertise must now also have an influence,” said Peters. Spokesman Thomas Kessen emphasized that the “doubtful” ruling “must be applied fairly and equally to all major public events,” such as the Bremen Freimarkt, the Munich Oktoberfest or the Cologne Carnival.