Schnabel ahead of city derby: Stadiums not "lawless spaces"
Ahead of the explosive city derby between FC St. Pauli and Hamburger SV, Hamburg's police chief Falk Schnabel has called for more support from the fans during police operations in the stadium. "There are no lawless areas in stadiums either. And if the police carry out a measure, then the urgent request is: Let's do it too," Schnabel told NDR ahead of the city duel in the 2nd Bundesliga on Friday (18:30/Sky).
In recent weeks, there have been an increasing number of serious riots at soccer matches. At the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart last Saturday, more than 200 people were injured. On November 10, there were riots at the Millerntor Stadium during the match between St. Pauli and Hannover 96. After a fan was allegedly attacked, police officers entered the stands and were subsequently attacked by 96 fans.
The Hamburg derby is regularly accompanied by a massive police presence. "We have a lot of forces on duty," Schnabel clarified. "But we will position ourselves in such a way that we can intervene consistently and we will not tolerate security disruptions." The police chief called on fans from both camps to ensure a non-violent encounter. "My appeal to everyone who goes there: Please be peaceful. It should be a peaceful soccer festival for everyone," he said.
In light of the upcoming city derby between FC St. Pauli and Hamburger SV in the 2nd Bundesliga, Police Chief Falk Schnabel emphasized the importance of fan support during police operations at the Bundesliga 2 match on Friday. Despite recent incidents of serious riots at soccer matches, such as the one between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart last Saturday, Schnabel assured that stadiums are not "lawless spaces."
Source: www.dpa.com
