World Cup organisers are more concerned about terrorism than hooliganism.
Outbreaks of hooliganism have hit Europe this year, but several key Germans said on Wednesday at an international soccer conference that they fear terrorism is the bigger threat.
”We’ll take care of the hooligans, but the danger exists that the World Cup will be misused by international terrorism,” said Bavarian governor Edmund Stoiber of soccer’s showcase event, which starts on June 9 in Germany.
Franz Beckenbauer, head of Germany’s World Cup committee, said in the wake of recent terrorist bombings in London and Egypt that safety cannot be guaranteed.
”There is no such thing as 100% security, but if we let ourselves be terrorised, we can close up shop right now,” said Beckenbauer at the three-day, 1 600-member conference that looked at issues such as economics, politics and training methods in soccer.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Uefa president Lennart Johansson both expressed faith in Germany’s security measures.
”I’m certain that the organisation will have a big success in the areas of logistics and security,” Blatter said.
Johansson said hooliganism was held in check at Euro 2004 because, for the first time, countries brought their own security experts to travel with their teams.
”If we capitulate to terror, that would be the bankruptcy of football and sport,” Johannson added. — Sapa-AP