On the terraces: Fan groups slam politicians' "stadium safety" conference

In a weekly Newsletter, Matt Ford keeps an eye on the action off the pitch in the Bundesliga and German football, explaining what’s going on from fan protests to finances.

Every week, hundreds of thousands of people attend football matches across Germany, which boasts some of the highest attendances in Europe. From the Bundesliga to the lower leagues, annual spectator numbers are in the tens of millions. Football is the country's biggest spectator sport by far, and official police statistics show that stadiums are generally full, safe, and secure. So why are some German politicians convinced that football grounds are actually violent no-go areas dominated by vicious hooligans? It's a story we've all heard before …

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Matt Ford's "On the terraces" newsletter will continue to appear every week throughout the 2024/25 Bundesliga season. Last season, the newsletter featured exclusive and in-depth coverage of the Bundesliga's private equity plans and the political intrigues at VfB Stuttgart, among other things. If you like what you see, please consider taking out a paid subscription.