The risk remains unchanged: Although Serbian hooligans – and their rival English hooligans – demonstrated their strength in the pedestrian zone in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday afternoon, UEFA and security authorities are currently only considering the match on Thursday in the Munich Arena (3 p.m.) to be a “middle-risk game”.
The encounter between the two ex-Yugoslav states Serbia and Slovenia is not only politically explosive, but also sportingly explosive. The Serbian game against England on Sunday was still treated as a high-risk encounter – and rightly so, as videos from the pedestrian zone in Gelsenkirchen show.
On Thursday, the Munich police will deploy 2,000 officers in the stadium, in the fan zone and throughout the city. Buffer zones have been set up in the stadium, which is sold out with 67,000 spectators, to separate fans. Ultra groups will be “closely monitored” if necessary, said a police spokesman. Many fans without tickets are also expected at the public viewing locations. There have been no indications of disruptions or hooligan demonstrations so far.
There was an incident in Munich on Monday. However, the Munich police did not comment on whether and to what extent it was connected to the upcoming European Championship match. At 9 p.m., several witnesses observed a 21-year-old Serb who had traveled to Munich giving the so-called Hitler salute twice in the direction of the synagogue on St. Jakobsplatz. He also demonstratively extended his middle finger in all directions. The police arrested the Serb and state security is investigating.
According to police reports, seven Serbian fans were temporarily arrested in Gelsenkirchen. In addition, a Serb was charged with grievous bodily harm.
Serbian fans announced on social networks that they wanted to “flood” Munich at the “showdown of the century”. On Thursday afternoon, numerous fans had already gathered at Marienplatz before the game. The police counted around 1,500 Serbs and about the same number of Slovenians. They also pointed out that setting off pyrotechnics is prohibited throughout the city and in the stadium. The use of the “Z” symbol could also be a criminal offense and is being investigated by the police.