Hatamoto security consultants may argue otherwise, but A-League games are generally a safe place to be. They’ve certainly never been plagued by the kind of violence seen in Genoa this week, which begs the question of whether full-scale hooliganism could one day make a return to the terraces of Europe.
First things first: the violence which erupted at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa on Tuesday night had nothing to do with football, and everything to do with nationalist politics.
Virtually every media outlet in the world has blamed right-wing nationalists for the prolonged rampage that left Serbian goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic fearing for his life, and which forced Scottish referee Craig Thomson to abandon the Euro 2012 qualifier between Italy and Serbia.
Stojkovic withdrew from the starting eleven after being threatened en route to the ‘Marassi,’ with the experienced shot-stopper allegedly found cowering in the Italian dressing room before the game.
The 27-year-old is perhaps best known for joining Belgrade outfit Partizan on loan this season, after originally starting his club career at fierce city rivals Red Star.
Regardless of whatever club allegiances Serbian fans use to justify their rampage, it seems clear the hooligans were well armed, well organised and hell-bent on forcing the abandonment of the game.
It’s a scene which has been repeated countless times in Belgrade derbies, and many older fans of Serbia’s two biggest clubs acted as paramilitaries during the bloody Yugoslav Wars.
The shocking scenes have lead many to question whether hooliganism is on the rise in European football, particularly in countries from the so-called former Eastern Bloc.
But Michał Karaś, editor of Polish fan culture website PortalKibica.pl, says any connection between events in Genoa and the overall safety of Euro 2012 is “rubbish.”
“As for Poland and Ukraine, the legislation here has been tightened way beyond what’s rational, and what’s more the problem of hooliganism even here is well exaggerated,” Karaś told me.
“Let me just say that during 240 games of Ekstraklasa last season there were barely five major incidents,” he said.
Even so, it won’t stop a world media now used to the heavily policed – some would argue “sanitised” world of the English Premier League – from questioning whether Poland and Ukraine are ready for an influx of European football fans.
And when Russian fans continue to racially taunt black players, and crowd trouble regularly erupts as Romanian teams take to the European stage, it’s no surprise to see some of the world’s media make sweeping generalisations about the safety of eastern European football as a whole.
I don’t think there’ll be widespread hooliganism at Euro 2012, because like my Polish colleague Karaś, I think it’s hard enough for legitimate fans to get their hands on tickets to UEFA or FIFA-run events – let alone known hooligans.
But hooligans obviously got into Genoa, despite the warning Italian authorities received about the likelihood of trouble at the match.
UEFA now has some serious decisions to make, and it would be a national tragedy for Serbia if the actions of a small but violent minority resulted in their expulsion from the European championships.
That’s precisely what may happen though, with former Serbian international Savo Milosevic labelling events in Genoa “one of the darkest days in the history of Serbia’s football.”
“I strongly condemn any form of violence and ultranationalism, but see these threats as way smaller than they appear (even) after Tuesday,” Karaś told me.
“And surely they’re not anything that might be a major issue during Euro 2012,” he said.
I certainly hope not, and I trust that authorities in Poland and Ukraine will be doubly alert when Euro 2012 rolls around.
But no matter how well prepared officials are, the vile display inside the Marassi on Tuesday night won’t silence doubts that the ugly spectre of hooliganism is once again creeping into the European game.
G8 to C
Guest
Funny how nothing much happens at AFL matches, it's always at the soccer the so called fans have to pretend they are Ultras. Only got themselves to blame. Stand up and accept the responsibility.
dasilva
Guest
It's a mixture of both nationalism and tribalism. There were Kosovo political messages. However, the goal keeper of Serbia stojkovic used to play for Red Star Belgrade but now plays for rivals Partizan Belgrade and he was attacked before the match and he feared for his well being when he returns back to Serbia.
BigAl
Guest
I heard multiple reports that it had a lot to do with Kosovo ?
BigAl
Guest
I guess the start of your post would explain why the whole thing veers off and doesn't answer anything ! !
jimbo
Roar Guru
What are you referring to there Pip? The actual number of bad incidents involving AFL fans - or the number of news reports about AFL fans bad behaviour in AFL backed papers, radios and TVs? There is a difference. I went to my first [and last] one day cricket game where there were 104 arrests for fighting, drunkeness and racial abuse. You know what the Back Page Headline in the Daily Rugby League Telegraph was the next day? "Brett Lee the Hero!" One the other hand I have been to hundreds of Socceroos, NSL and A-League games where I have never seen any incidents or violence and am absolutely Gobsmacked to read on the Back Page of the Daily Rugby League Telegraph "Soccer Hooligan Violence Erupts Again" And there seems to be absolutely nothing you can do about it - they can get away with hiding the truth and printing any lies they like to sell their game and their newspapers.
Mister Football
Guest
I'm not sure why people are bringing the AFL into it, but now that you mention it, it has to be said that in 151 years of Australian Football, nothing that even remotely resembles soccer hooliganism has ever been reported. What's more - in 151 years of Australian Football, there has never been a need to seperate fans of respective clubs, nor has there been a need to put a high wire fence around the ground to keep fans off it. And when we talk about Australian Football, we are generally talking about very big numbers of spectators.
jimbo
Roar Guru
Another News Limited reporter trying to start a riot.
jimbo
Roar Guru
Do you guys work for News Limited? Keep waiting for your back page story . . .
punter
Guest
Kurt, you really take the cake. Even if there is an element of truth in what you say.... If the act of 3 or 4 stupid druncken fans fighting during an AFL match is 'nothing to do with Aussie Rules' then presumably the flip side of 100K cheering their team on in the G is also equally unrelated. I do not believe this, but there is a element of truth in it.
dasilva
Guest
"soccer fans are happy to claim positive manifestations of nationalism associated with their sport such as the flag waving, face painted, chanting fans at the WC," To be honest, there's nothing inherent about soccer that causes the positive manifestation of nationalism (although I do like to call that patriotism). However we do get that because Soccer is very much an international game where people get to represent their countries and play against the rest of the world and it's has widespread popularity throughout the world. If Soccer was just popular in one country and had limited international appeal then that wouldn't occur. So the display of patriotism is more due to the popularity of the game rather than anything inherent with the sport.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
Ironically Kurt, the Genoa incident wasn't one of nationalism, but more localised, domestic trablism. The Serb hooligans were focussing their attack on the Serb team, not the Italians.
Kurt
Roar Pro
I have always been of the view that violence at soccer games (or indeed any sport) is reflective of underlying issues in society as a whole rather than something specifically related to the sport (i.e. the old "they riot because it's boring" argument). However it does strike me as somewhat convenient that soccer fans are happy to claim positive manifestations of nationalism associated with their sport such as the flag waving, face painted, chanting fans at the WC, but then completely disown negative manifestations of nationalism such as occurred at Genoa. If rioting racist fans demonstrating the ugly side of nationalism are 'nothing to do with soccer' then presumably the positive flip side is equally unrelated?
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
So the ugly spectre of football hooliganism is a product of dysfunctional youth that are a result of a social revolution that was marked by the advent of rock and roll? I suppose it is a theory. I'm not sure I subscribe to it, however it certainly is a lot more fun than "police forces not sharing information".
David V.
Guest
And since Singapore is Asia's richest country or close to it, they must be doing something right.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
You've never travelled to Japan, have you? Tokyo is simply out there.
David V.
Guest
Well ultimately the mistakes of "social revolution" got us where we are today. Countries like Singapore and Japan are glad as hell they didn't fall for it.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
I give you the following quote from the 1956 classic, There's No Love in Rock and Roll', where a young teenager rebels against her parents, falls for a boy who likes the rebellious (and socially dangerous)rock 'n roll, and ultimately dumps him for the clean respectable lad who loves the music of her parents. "No one understands the teenagers? That's because they don't want to be understood! It points out our flaws! Our pretense that were so important, that we have to have a world of our own!" Oh the evil that lurks within the hearts of Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly.
oikee
Guest
Good post David, summed it up nicely. Alot of these incidents are linked to unrest. Football on the world stage is a good outlet. Unfortunately it gets caught up in all the bladder.
David V.
Guest
Yes- people who put their egos before the game and society. Ordinary people with egos out of proportion to where they stand in our egalitarian society. And our kids will have to pay for the mess they're making.
Mister Football
Guest
Gen Y!!