Football
Scotland Euro 2024 game declared high risk by ‘concerned’ German police
SCOTLAND’S Euro 2024 showdown with Hungary has been declared a high risk game by the Stuttgart police because of the country’s hooligans.
Steve Clarke‘s side face the Magyars in the last game in the group in what is certain to be a huge encounter, after the opening game against hosts Germany in Munich and a match against Switzerland in Cologne.
Recent estimates have predicted Scotland could have up to 200,000 fans at the tournament even though the official SFA allocation is only 10,000 for each game.
Hungary are known to carry a huge support too and the Stuttgart authorities have admitted they are wary of the presence of their notorious ‘Carpathian Brigade’ at the tournament.
They hit the headlines when they caused a near-riot at Wembley three years ago during a World Cup qualifier with England after alleged racist abuse.
And the Stuttgart Police have revealed they have categorised two of the five games the city will host at Euro 2024 as high risk – Scotland v Hungary on June 23 and Germany v Hungary four days earlier.
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Stuttgart Police head of operations at Euro 2024 Carsten Hofler said: “Of the five matches in the city, two are high-risk. These are the matches between Germany and Hungary and Scotland and Hungary.
“We are particularly concerned about the serious hooligan scene in Hungary, which also exists in Germany.
“If they want to fight, we we will intervene in a robust manner,
“The Scots are considered peaceful, but also thirsty and alcohol can be a catalyst for violence in certain situations.
“Additionally, not only will Scotland and Hungary meet in Stuttgart on June 23, but the German team will also be playing against Switzerland in Frankfurt at the same time. So there will probably be three groups of fans in Stuttgart.
“It is difficult to estimate how many fans will arrive without tickets: It always depends on the accommodation and transport capacity. For the Scots, they expect over 100,000 fans. The fewest fans are expected in the city from Slovenia.
“At the high-risk games in Stuttgart, over 2,500 additional officers will be deployed in stages throughout the day. The main support will come from the police headquarters, but units from neighbouring headquarters and from across the country will also be called in.
“The federal police, which is responsible for the borders, the airport and the train stations, will also be present at maximum strength.
“We get up with the European Championship in the morning and go to bed with it in the evening. We are bringing in all the skills that the security authorities have in a highly concentrated manner.
“This also includes joint exercises in the stadium or with the Stuttgart Hospital so that we are prepared for everything in an emergency.”
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