Blatter allays World Cup hooliganism fears

FIFA president Sepp Blatter today insisted security measures for next year’s World Cup will prevent the tournament being marred by a spread of the hooliganism witnessed recently in Italy.

The world governing body’s security chief Walter Gagg will be in London tomorrow to compare notes with English experts, but Blatter believes the 2006 World Cup in Germany will be trouble-free despite problems the last time it was held in Europe.

During France ’98, there was violence involving England fans in Marseille and a French policeman died after being stabbed by German hooligans.

Last week, Inter Milan were ordered to play their next four European games behind closed doors after their Champions League match with AC Milan was abandoned when ‘keeper Nelson Dida was injured by a flare.

Blatter, who was attending the Sport Accord conference here in Berlin, told the Press Association: “I am not worried about hooliganism in the World Cup.

“Where the things have happened in Italy it is because they do not have any controls at the entry to the stadiums.

“Such a thing would never have been allowed to happen in England or Scotland or Germany, it’s impossible, because when you go into the stadium you are controlled.

“Have you seen what they take through there – even a motor scooter once, it’s incredible.”

The World Cup hosts experienced hooligan problems themselves last month when around 200 German fans rampaged through the Slovenian city of Celje, then let off flares and ripped up seats during the qualifier.

There have been fears that the World Cup will prove a magnet for Dutch and English hooligans but Blatter claimed the advances in intelligence would enable the German authorities to keep a lid on the problem.

He added: “We are ultimately responsible for the World Cup and we have a very good relationship with the German authorities.

“I have absolute confidence in those who are organising the matches. We do not think that what happened in Slovenia with German hooligans can happen here in Germany.

“There is an excellent relationship between the police and security forces in different countries and now they know who these hooligans are, where they are going and when they leave.”

Gagg, FIFA’s stadium and security director, will be delivering a speech at the 2005 ‘Event and Venue Security’ conference in London tomorrow.

Meanwhile Blatter also expressed his concern at the Italian government’s announcement that they will intervene to force Serie A matches to be abandoned and forfeited when fans throw missiles.

He said: “It is not possible that the police can stop a match, it is a football event and can only be stopped by the referee or the match commissioner, otherwise you have to have a replay.

“We want to know the details of this decision taken by (Silvio) Berlusconi’s government.”