Raschi and Gatti at the UEFA Safety & Security Conference in Rome

Almost 500 delegates from all over Europe and beyond, including representatives of national associations and clubs involved in UEFA club competitions, together with law enforcement and national authorities, took part today in the UEFA Safety & Security Conference in Rome. Among them were also Michele Raschi – Security Manager for the FSGC – and Lieutenant Gabriele Gatti of the San Marino Gendarmerie Corps. The conference was opened by a video message from Ceferin, followed on stage by FIGC President Gabriele Gravina, the President of the National Observatory on Sports Events Paolo Cortis and, finally, UEFA General Secretary Theodor Theodoridis, who in the morning signed with NFIP President Adrian Dinca the final version of the cooperation protocol between UEFA and the network of National Football Information Points. In this context, the San Marino Gendarmerie Corps has also taken, already last year after the Istanbul event, its first steps towards affiliation. Many topics were addressed, such as the increase in violent incidents in stadiums (+46% in incidents between the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 seasons alone) and the worrying and increasingly widespread use of pyrotechnics and smoke bombs. There was discussion on promoting an awareness campaign aimed at preventing the introduction of explosive devices into stadiums. Stewards can do valuable work in this respect, but searches at entry points are often very difficult, in San Marino as across Europe. Overall, one of the objectives must be to promote good behaviour when taking part in the stadium experience, as it is an environment also lived by families and children. The focus is less on banning access to events and more on changing the mentality of supporters. There was no shortage of ideas regarding accessibility and therefore on making stadiums suitable for everyone, including those who use a wheelchair. In addition to the long-standing issue of removing architectural barriers, the disrespectful behaviour of those who stand in front of seating reserved for disabled spectators is an increasingly common and regrettable occurrence. The role of stewards is central here as well. Minimum medical requirements to enhance safety for teams and supporters, as well as for the women’s game, were further topics for discussion and comparison. In the afternoon, the conference returned to what had already been discussed in January, namely the management of ingress and egress flows at stadiums. Using the case study of England v Italy (Wembley, UEFA EURO 2020 final) and today’s focus, it was shown how to manage supporters outside the stadiums, that is beyond the perimeter, where they gather, celebrate and must be kept safe. Over the course of the day, work will continue in dedicated groups involving representatives of clubs taking part in UEFA club competitions.

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