German supporters turn violent

French policeman in coma after street fights

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Posted: Monday June 22, 1998 10:36 AM

A German man is detained by French police in Lens on Sunday (AP)

LENS, France (AP) -- The head of world soccer Monday called on the European Union to do more to prevent known soccer thugs from crossing borders to forment violence in other countries.

Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA, also stressed that street violence by followers of some teams would not affect the staging of the World Cup.

Blatter spoke a day after a French policeman was left in a coma with injuries sustained as he tried to break up a street fight involving German supporters. He was hit on the head with an iron bar by a German now in police custody.

That followed by one week several nights of rampages by English and Tunisian fans in the old port section of Marseille. Toulouse, where England played Romania today, also was braced for trouble.

So concerned was FIFA over the violence that it called an emergency meeting of the ruling Bureau this afternoon in Paris. FIFA issued a five-step plan to try to quell the violence and take long-range steps to make sure it does not reoccur.

At the heart of the plan was FIFA's pledge to "take the initiative of seeking greater cooperation with political authorities, including those of the European Union, in the continuing effort to protect the reputation of football and for the introduction of new legal measures to achieve this."

FIFA did not have direct contact with the EU over the hooligan issue prior to this year's World Cup. But he stressed that such contact would be made not only for future tournaments, but for soccer in general.

Blatter also said there had been some discussion about expelling teams whose fans misbehaved, including an informal proposal from a member of FIFA's board. He refused to identify the member, but said the matter was immediately dropped.

"I said no. You can't have this," Blatter said. "We are not afraid, we are concerned. We have observed it and we are stronger.

"This World Cup can't be disturbed again. We must stay here and play the games," he said.

A statement released by the world body thanked the French authorities for the steps taken to protect the competition from violence, and expressed "every confidence" in their ability to maintain security in the stadiums.

It condemned the perpetrators of the "barbaric violence" in Lens and said the "thoughts of FIFA and all genuine football fans are with the victim of the violence and his family."

In a related development, the German soccer federation said it warned German authorities before the match in Lens that people "with a history of violence connected to sports were coming without tickets" urging measures to stop them.

"These hooligans are enemies of society with the intention to harm the image of the sport and of Germany. They are criminals that should not be mentioned in the same breath as millions of fans, who love football and go to the stadiums for the love of the game," said the statement by Egidius Braun, the federation president.

The statement also offered every possible help to the family of David Nivel, French gendarme injured in Sunday's melee.

Television footage showed Nivel lying face-down on a pavement in a pool of blood. He was flown by helicopter to a hospital in the city of Lille. Hospital officials said today his condition had not changed.

"His condition didn't improve or get worse during the night," Lille hospital spokeswoman Annie Ervard. "He is still in a coma and under respiratory assistance."

In all, 93 Germans and three French were detained by police.

Six Germans detained during the clashes with police before and after the match were immediately deported. Another 15 Germans were placed under formal investigation -- one step short of being charged.

But the vast majority were detained for drunkenness and would be released later today.

A Brazilian television cameraman also was injured in clashes, although he was not in serious condition.

French Sports Minister Marie-George Buffet said Sunday she was "angered" by the violence, which she said had "ruined the party."

"How can it be that people can use sport for such ends?," she said in an interview with television channel TF1. "These people will be pursued in the courts."

Before the match, more than 20 German skinheads were detained. Police used sticks to battle the Germans, who included known groups of neo-Nazis who arrived by train.

Riot police brought in reinforcements and sealed off the downtown area.

As many as 450 skinheads were seen on the streets of Lens before and after the match giving Nazi salutes, German news reports said.  

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