At the start of the negotiation before the Federal Constitutional Court about police costs, the German Football League emphasized security at games.
“The fact is that the Bundesliga clubs are investing significantly in preventative measures,” said DFL managing director Marc Lenz in Karlsruhe. “It is also a fact that the stadium experience in Germany is very safe. And with up to 20 million spectators per year.”
Who bears the police costs for high-risk games?
The Federal Constitutional Court is dealing with the question of whether the DFL may be charged for police costs for high-risk games where clashes between fan camps are particularly likely. With a constitutional complaint, the umbrella organization of the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga is against a regulation from Bremen, according to which the city can charge organizers fees for greater police work at certain major events. From the DFL’s perspective, the regulation created in 2014 is unconstitutional and void. A judgment is only expected in a few months.
“Football generally has an impact that goes beyond 90 minutes,” said Lenz. This includes all aspects of society. The police are a very important partner in preventative measures. DFL lawyer Bernd Hoefer warned that fees would overwhelm third division clubs – which play under the umbrella of the German Football Association (DFB).
“At its core, it’s about safety at major events of all kinds,” said Lenz about the legal dispute, which has now lasted nine years. Hoefer pointed out that the police costs for climate activists at the motor show in Munich will not be billed to the organizer. In addition, the police would decide for themselves the number of operational hours that would ultimately be billed.
Mäurer for the DFL’s “appropriate” contribution to police costs
Bremen’s Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer has argued before the Federal Constitutional Court for German professional football to make an appropriate contribution to police costs for high-risk games. The federal states continue to be heavily burdened by the additional police effort at Bundesliga games, said the SPD politician in Karlsruhe. Measures to counteract the potential for violence during the games have not yet had the desired effect. The taxpayer bears the costs.
High-risk games are those games in which clashes between fan camps are particularly likely.
The step towards charging fees was not easy for the city state of Bremen, said Mäurer. He was always concerned with appropriate participation. Only nine games have been classified as “red games” – i.e. high-risk games – since the controversial regulation was introduced, Mäurer emphasized before the first Senate. In the Bremen case, it is only a matter of one game per season in which the DFL would be asked to pay. In other European countries, organizers of football games would also have to contribute to the costs.
