After several security lapses at the European Football Championship, expert Harald Olschok sees deficits especially in the training of security personnel. “This is the wrong training. The legal requirement is purely theoretical instruction in the classroom of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry – and that is not suitable for protecting events,” Olschok told the German Press Agency. During Germany’s round of 16 match against Denmark, a man caused a stir when he got under the roof of the Dortmund stadium wearing a mask and carrying a backpack.
Olschok suggests more practical training for security personnel at the scene of the incident. It is important to know the rooms and escape routes, but also to have contacts with the state security forces, the fire brigade or paramedics. “It is completely the wrong qualification for this specific job,” said the honorary professor of security management at the Berlin School of Economics and Law.
The security staff have to go through a so-called training process for a week. The staff are taught what the rights and duties of security staff are. “But there is not a single sentence that addresses the topic: How do I behave in a stadium in Dortmund or Munich?” complained Olschok.
A safe event despite mishaps
The European Football Union UEFA responded to the criticism with understanding. The association could “very well understand” this, but UEFA itself only partially agreed with the solution that was “imposed on the organizers by the authorities.” The legal requirements for the qualification of event stewards with security duties go back “to very old trade regulations,” UEFA wrote in response to a dpa query. “In our view, this is demonstrably not suitable for preparing stewards for their specific tasks in the context of football matches.”
The association referred to the German Football Association’s qualification program for stewards (QuaSOD), which has been “systematically developed and promoted” over ten years. “Unfortunately, despite the support of all security experts and UEFA for UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany, no legal recognition for QuaSOD has been accepted at the political level,” UEFA said. “As a result, there is still an additional, time-consuming and impractical legal requirement, which is one of the main causes of the shortage of skilled workers in security and stewarding.”
Despite the recent mishaps, Olschock sees the European Championship as a safe event – especially considering the many millions of people who have already been out and about. Security gaps can never be completely ruled out. “It is important to draw conclusions from incidents like these and learn from them,” he said. (dpa)
