On a tranquil spring morning in the village of Stützerbach, the serenity was abruptly broken by the sound of hundreds of German police officers engaging in a large-scale training exercise. The drill was designed to prepare for the potential threat of soccer hooligans at the upcoming European Championship, set to be hosted by Germany from June 14 to July 14.
Approximately 200 trainee police officers role-played as violent soccer fans, creating chaos at the village train station. They were met by local state police, who swiftly called in hundreds of federal police reinforcements as the scenario escalated. The trainees, simulating hooligans, engaged in loud singing, chanting, and cheering, culminating in a dramatic exit from the train amid a display of pyrotechnics that filled the sky with red and white smoke.
The training involved around 600 police personnel, including 100 officers coordinating off-site and the 200 participating trainees. To enhance the realism of the exercise, all filming and photography were prohibited within the sealed-off area, where officers practiced identifying, recording, and processing the mock troublemakers.
Karsten Täschner, a spokesman for the Thuringia police, emphasized the dual aims of the exercise: mastering crowd control tactics and fostering seamless cooperation between federal and state police forces. Officers practiced restraining techniques and used a police drone to monitor the exercise, ensuring all actions were recorded for review and improvement.
Täschner also highlighted the use of advanced techniques such as employing “super recognizers”—special officers skilled in identifying individuals within large crowds. As Germany prepares for the influx of hundreds of thousands of soccer fans, these preparations are critical, not only for the Euro 2024 but also for enhancing the security protocols for future international sporting events.
While acknowledging minor incidents of violence at lower-league matches this season, Täschner reiterated that the vast majority of soccer fans are peaceful. The overarching goal for the police during Euro 2024 is to ensure a violence-free environment, welcoming all attendees in a spirit of open-mindedness, preparedness, and hospitality.