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Uefa’s Michel Platini calls for action on extremism and hooliganism Uefa’s Michel Platini calls for action on extremism and hooliganism
(34 minutes later)
Michel Platini has raised the spectre of the Heysel disaster and warned of a growing threat posed by hooligans and political extremists in football stadiums in Europe. The Uefa president Michel Platini has warned of the dangers of a rising tide of nationalism across Europe and a return to the hooliganism of the 1980s inside football stadiums.
The Uefa president, who was on the pitch for Juventus at the European Cup final in Brussels 30 years ago when 39 people – mainly followers of the Italian club – died after rioting Liverpool fans charged Juve supporters causing a wall to collapse. Platini has called for tougher stadium bans and a European-wide sports police force. The former French international recalled his own experiences at Heysel almost 30 years ago and said he feared the “dark days of the not-so-distant past” were in danger of returning.
Speaking at the Uefa Congress in Vienna, Platini said: “Europe is seeing a rise in nationalism and extremism the like of which we have not witnessed for a very long time. Platini was playing for Juventus at the European Cup final in Brussels in 1985 when 39 people, mainly Italian, died after a wall collapsed amid rioting that led to English teams being banned from Europe.
“This insidious trend can also be observed in our stadiums, as football is a reflection of society. Given its popularity, our sport is a barometer for the ills of our continent. And that barometer is pointing to some worrying developments. “In recent months, we have all been struck by certain images that I thought were a thing of the past. Some of us experienced that past at first hand.
“I therefore renew my call for greater awareness of this issue among the public authorities, so that we can avoid reliving the dark days of a not-so-distant past – a past where hooligans and all manner of fanatics called the shots in certain European stadiums. In my case, it was exactly 30 years ago … nobody wants a repeat of such events,” said Platini, who is standing unopposed for a third term as president at Uefa’s Congress in Vienna.
“In recent months, we have all been struck by certain images that I thought were a thing of the past. Some of us experienced that past at first hand. In my case, it was exactly 30 years ago … nobody wants a repeat of such events.
“We need tougher stadium bans at European level and – I will say it again – the creation of a European sports police force.”“We need tougher stadium bans at European level and – I will say it again – the creation of a European sports police force.”
Platini also appeared to have a veiled dig at Sepp Blatter for deciding to run for a fifth term as Fifa president despite having said at the Uefa Congress four years ago that his fourth term would be his last. Platini has been calling for the creation of a European police force since he became president in 2007 and renewed his plea for more help from public authorities in tackling problems inside and outside stadiums.
Blatter then described himself as the “captain of the ship in troubled waters bringing in back on the right route”. “In these battles that we are fighting, we feel as if we have been left to fend for ourselves somewhat. And yet, these are battles that can only be won with the help of the public authorities. You are not, we are not legislators, judges or police officers. We do what we can with the means – the limited means – available to us,” he said.
Platini, who is himself being re-elected unopposed for a third term, told Uefa delegates: “I regard myself as a simple team-mate – at most your captain. But not the captain of a ship that is being battered by a storm.” “I therefore renew my call for greater awareness of this issue among the public authorities, so that we can avoid reliving the dark days of a not-so-distant past, a past where hooligans and all manner of fanatics called the shots in certain European stadiums.”
Platini’s printed speech included the words “clinging to the helm for dear life” but he dropped that line when he delivered the speech, saying only: “No. I am simply the captain of a winning team – one that wins because it boasts 54 talented presidents and general secretaries who are prepared to play for each other.” Platini said that football was a reflected wider society and that a worrying rise in nationalism and extremism across the continent was being reflected inside football grounds.
In his speech to the Congress on Tuesday, Blatter made no reference to standing again for Fifa president but once again urged football to resist calls to boycott to the 2018 World Cup in Russia due to its involvement in the civil war in Ukraine. “Europe is seeing a rise in nationalism and extremism the like of which we have not witnessed for a very long time,” said Platini.
Blatter said: “Football shall be united, sport shall be united when it comes to boycotts because boycott has never given any results. We have to pay attention to political interferences. The autonomy of sport must be guaranteed.” “This insidious trend can also be observed in our stadiums, as football is a reflection of society. Given its popularity, our sport is a barometer for the ills of our continent. And that barometer is pointing to some worrying developments,” he added.