Stadium safety: important cooperation between FSGC and FIGC

At the UEFA Safety and Security Conference held in Madrid at the beginning of September, a cooperation was launched between FSGC, FIGC, the Gendarmerie and NFIP Italy. This initiative enabled our association to take three FSGC steward managers and three non-commissioned officers of the Gendarmerie Corps to the Italy v Türkiye match, valid for matchday four of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League, played at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna at 20:45 on Monday 5 October. In its area of responsibility, the Gendarmerie Corps liaised directly with the Bologna Police Headquarters and with the GOS, taking part as observers in the procedures and operations relating to the preparation and organisation of the international football match. Representing the Gendarmerie Corps were M.llo Marta Mazza, M.llo Gianluigi Conti and M.llo Gianluca Menicucci. On behalf of the FSGC, steward managers Dominic Vincenti, Mirco Masini and Stefano Zafferani were assigned to the sector heads of the security operation at the Bologna stadium, with the objective of studying and observing all preparatory and set-up activities required to welcome supporters inside the stadium.

The programme allowed the San Marino gendarmes and stewards to attend, as observers, the organisational meeting held on the morning of matchday, with UEFA and all stakeholders involved in various ways in the preparation and delivery of the event. In the afternoon they followed the set-up of access points, the preparation and management of entry flows, the supporters’ march, the management of fans in the stands, crowd control in the different sections, the organisation of areas dedicated to VIPs and media, the dressing-room zone and team arrival, through to the post-event phase with the exit of spectators and the conclusion of all activities connected to the match event. The synergy between the Italian and San Marino institutions and authorities once again proved strong and fruitful, as it allowed our association to observe at close quarters the specific dynamics of major events which, in San Marino, occur only rarely and usually months apart, whereas in larger cities such as Bologna they are a weekly constant.

FSGC would like to thank the Gendarmerie Corps for its valuable cooperation, which has long been a hallmark of the relationship between the two organisations, and it extends its sincere thanks to FIGC, Bologna FC, NFIP Italy and the Polizia di Stato/Bologna Police Headquarters for their availability and for the cooperation developed with their counterparts at FSGC and the Gendarmerie.