Germany: authorities want to combine safety & fan culture at stadiums

How can security at German football stadiums be improved without undermining "a fan culture that is unique in Europe"? This is the question that politicians, police officers, members of the DFB and DFL and representatives of supporters' clubs have been working on for several months, according to the German Football Association and the German professional football league on 12/11/2025.

The starting point was a meeting in October 2024, following violent incidents at football matches, between the interior and sports ministers of the various Länder (German regions) and representatives of the football world, concerning the amount of time spent by police forces in ensuring the safety of matches.

According to the DFB and the DFL, fan culture in Germany is subject to two types of pressure:
• the propensity for violence of certain individuals;
• administrative measures, sometimes collective, which can affect completely innocent fans (travel bans, personalisation of tickets).

Priority given to prevention & targeted sanctions