Safety & Security: Raschi attends UEFA’s annual workshop

On Tuesday 17 January 2023, the annual workshop dedicated to Safety & Security issues was held in the auditorium at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon. The main topic was the management of crowd flows during events, focusing on stadium entry, movement and stay inside the venue, as well as post‑match dispersal. For Security Officers from all over Europe, including Michele Raschi representing the San Marino FA, there were group sessions built around the case study of the EURO 2020 final between Italy and England. Not everyone is aware that thousands of England fans forced their way through the Wembley barriers, entering the stadium without tickets to watch the match. In Raschi’s group were his counterparts from the FAs of Luxembourg, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Malta, Liechtenstein and Andorra. Alongside practical inputs on how to prepare for and respond to both anticipated and unforeseen incidents, the Security Officers also focused on the theoretical and statistical analysis of new measurement methods that can be used to manage large crowds in restricted spaces, such as stadium stands, as well as escape routes and internal and external areas of the venue (underground stations, local and long‑distance trains, squares in the immediate vicinity of stadiums, turnstile zones, etc.). The workshop also provided an opportunity to present innovative systems and software for monitoring crowd presence in specific areas of the stadium zone, and to discuss how the pandemic has significantly affected event organisation, both during lockdown and in the immediate aftermath. In particular, discussions focused on the social repercussions still being felt today. While the vast majority of spectators have continued to attend events calmly and peacefully, a marked increase in incidents of violence and aggression, especially towards authorities, has not gone unnoticed. Once again, the Wembley case study highlighted the entry into the venue of thousands of ticketless fans, who ignored anti‑pandemic restrictions and used violence to breach physical barriers. This resulted in 130 arrests on the day of the final alone, compared with a total of 9 arrests at the semi‑final played at Wembley just a few days earlier. Finally, crowd management must not be considered solely within the confines of the stadium, but also along the entire journey to and from the venue made by fans leaving and returning home. This must take into account the impact of, and cooperation with, airlines and transport companies, accommodation providers, authorities and stewards. Inside the venue in particular, every single detail that can help the various stakeholders make the most of their time in and around the stadium must be considered and optimised, with the aim of reducing – as far as possible – the risk of accidents, unforeseen events and safety issues.

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