Suche
Mein Konto
Northern clubs are calling together for fan culture and safety in the stadium!
VfL Wolfsburg and northern clubs emphasize fan culture and security at the Interior Ministers' Conference in Bremen, March 3-5. December 2025.
Northern clubs are calling together for fan culture and safety in the stadium!
In a remarkable initiative, northern German football clubs, led by VfL Wolfsburg, have come together to take a stand on safety and fan culture in German football. The Interior Ministers' Conference will take place in Bremen from December 3rd to 5th, and the northern clubs - including VfL Osnabrück, Eintracht Braunschweig, Hannover 96, TSV Havelse, SV Meppen and VfB Oldenburg - have published a joint statement. Picture reports that the clubs are committed to a vibrant, diverse and passionate fan culture.
In their statements, the clubs emphasize the special atmosphere in the stadiums, which is an essential element of football culture in Germany. Safety and fan culture are viewed as closely linked aspects. “Every visitor to the stadium must be able to feel safe,” is the clear message from the clubs, which at the same time resolutely reject violence, hatred and provocations.
Criticism of blanket measures
The northern clubs reject uniform measures without a specific reason. These include, for example, the across-the-board reduction of guest contingents for high-risk games and the mandatory personalization of tickets. “We rely on individual and fair decisions,” the statement states. It is important to them that no central stadium ban commission replaces the local structures. DFL supports this attitude and focuses on trusting cooperation between the clubs, fan organizations and the responsible authorities.
On November 12, 2025, a meeting of the federal-state open working group (BLoAG) took place, at which representatives from politics, police, DFB, DFL and fan projects discussed current security issues. However, German fan culture, viewed as unique and diverse, is under pressure. The willingness of individual perpetrators to use violence and potential official measures are putting a strain on the atmosphere in the stadiums, where official statistics demonstrate security.
The role of fan projects
In order to counteract the danger, fan projects have been launched for over 30 years that aim to prevent riots. Deutschlandfunk emphasizes that these projects counteract radicalization dynamics and are considered a success story. However, there is criticism, as in the case of Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster, who calls for an impact analysis because the direct impact of these projects is often difficult to prove.
The DFB and DFL have already pledged financial support for fan projects in 2022 to increase security at football games and promote social work. It is emphasized that the successes of these projects often consist in what does not happen and that they promote the long-term personal development of fans.
These developments show that the world of football is not just limited to the playing field, but also has social responsibility. The commitment of northern German clubs and supporting cooperation between fan organizations and authorities are crucial to maintaining a safe and vibrant football culture that welcomes all fans to the stadium. The appeal to politicians to forego blanket restrictions and instead find individual solutions could be the key to a harmonious and safer future in football.