UEFA Safety & Security: Raschi and Lieutenant Gatti at the Istanbul conference

In the city that hosted the draws for the group stages of the upcoming UEFA club competitions – from the Champions League to the Conference League, via the Europa League – more than 440 representatives gathered, including members of UEFA, national associations, clubs, police officers from various European countries, and senior officials and experts from various international bodies. The UEFA Safety & Security Conference 2022 focused primarily on the management of large crowds, the return of spectators to stadiums after the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, the role of Security Officers and stewards, and the close cooperation with the police, who are responsible for maintaining public order. Representing San Marino were Michele Raschi – Security Officer within the FSGC – and Lieutenant Gabriele Gatti of the San Marino Gendarmerie Corps. Numerous case studies were presented from all over Europe, most notably the experience of the UEFA Europa Conference League final played in Tirana, in the new stadium in the Albanian capital. Another example came from the Netherlands, where Ajax’s stadium has been used as a "laboratory" to study the management of large crowds during the pandemic, making use of CCTV systems and innovative software capable of identifying large gatherings of people and triggering alerts so they can be dispersed or relocated, with drones also used to manage flows. There was also discussion on how to address the new social and interpersonal behaviours of fans returning to the stands after many months of isolation and absence from live football. UEFA’s general recommendation is to build a team spirit among all the bodies involved in organising a sporting event (federations, clubs, police forces, medical services, fire brigades, stewards, private security, etc.). Without this cooperation, it is almost impossible to achieve the goal of staging an event in complete safety. In conclusion, emphasis was placed on the importance of infrastructure from the very first design phase on paper, so that all the requirements recommended by experts and by structural regulations are met. There was also discussion of the new and exciting challenges emerging in European football: managing Safety & Security aspects at national and international women’s football events and futsal events, the latter held in sports halls, that is, indoor environments.

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