by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- German professional football must bear part of the additional police costs for so-called high-risk games, the country's Federal Constitutional Court ruled Tuesday. The decision concludes a decade-long legal dispute between the federal state of Bremen and the German Football League (DFL).
Despite the ruling, each of Germany's 16 federal states can decide independently whether to demand compensation. Five states have announced plans to issue invoices, five have decided against it, and seven are calling for a nationwide solution.
The court ruled that additional costs can be charged to those who cause them. However, the league association maintains that safety is the responsibility of the state.
According to Bremen's interior minister, Ulrich Maurer, the additional costs for clubs in Germany's first, second, and third divisions could amount to €20-30 million per season, on top of the €120 million already covered by taxpayers. Many state administrations have called for the creation of a general fund, financed by the clubs, to address the issue.
While German football grapples with these changes, Premier League clubs in the U.K. already pay an average of £15.3 million (€18.2 million) annually for additional security costs. In Spain, such costs are covered by the state, while French clubs have contributed since 1995, and Italian clubs since 2014.
A report from Bild highlighted that security costs for Tottenham Hotspur matches can reach £2.9 million per game. In comparison, Liverpool matches cost £1.6 million, and Manchester United matches cost £1.5 million.
Since the case surfaced in 2014, Bremen's claim for reimbursement has grown to €3 million. The Bremen administration said so-called "red games" require up to 1,500 police officers, while "normal games" need only 250-600.
During the 2022-23 season, 52 of the 612 games in Germany's top two divisions were classified as high-risk, according to media reports. A 2015 match between regional rivals Werder Bremen and Hamburger SV incurred additional security costs of €400,000.
The Central Information Point for Sports Operations reported that 993 professional football matches in the 2023-24 season required a total of 2.044 million working hours from police officers, equivalent to 1,572 full-time personnel.
Hans-Joachim Watzke, spokesman for the league association and former CEO of Borussia Dortmund, announced his opposition to a general fund after the state of North Rhine-Westphalia confirmed it would not issue additional invoices. Enditem.
