The man who climbed under the roof of the Dortmund stadium during Germany’s Euro 2024 last-16 win over Denmark may have to pay for the police operation he triggered.
“The Dortmund police headquarters is currently examining whether costs can be charged in this case,” a police spokesperson told dpa.
The man from Osnabrück was spotted climbing on the beams under the roof on Saturday. Police kept him under surveillance until the end of the match, when a special task force removed and arrested the 21-year-old. A helicopter was even used.
The day after the incident, police announced that the man had only wanted to take photographs from the unusual vantage point. Media had speculated over a major security breach given he was masked and carrying a rucksack, but police said the bag contained camera equipment.
Legal framework introduced in 2023
Last August, the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Dortmund is located, introduced a scale of charges covering a wide range of scenarios to cover the costs of unnecessary police operations.
These include the “rescue or recovery of persons if the danger was caused by them intentionally or through gross negligence.”
Billing is based on time and effort, with fines going up to €50,000 ($54,000).
Expert criticises security staff training
It was not the only security breach at the Euros which have also seen several pitch invaders, and a Youtuber gaining access to the opening match on June 14 with a fake accreditation and wearing a mascot costume.
German security expert Harald Olschok blamed security staff training for the lapses, speaking of a “completely wrong qualification for this specific task.
“The legal requirement is purely theoretical training in the classroom of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce – and this is not suitable for the protection of events,” Olschok told dpa.
He said the staff were taught what the rights and duties of security staff are but that “there is not a single word on the subject of how to behave in a stadium in Dortmund or Munich.”
Olschok said training should take place at the respective venue and include contact with the fire brigade and emergency staff.
UEFA also critical, says German FA programme not accepted
The continental body UEFA told dpa it could “very well understand” this criticism as UEFA itself was only partially in agreement with the solution “imposed on the organisers by the authorities”.
It said the legal requirements for the qualification of event stewards with security duties go back to “very old trade regulations” which is “demonstrably unsuitable for preparing stewards for their specific duties at football matches.”
UEFA said a special programme for stewards by the German FA was not legally accepted at the political level, “despite the support of all security experts and UEFA for Euro 2024 in Germany.
“As a result, there is still an additional, time-consuming and impractical legal requirement, which is one of the main causes of the shortage in security and stewarding staff,” UEFA said.
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