“Fan violence has been decreasing for years,” daily newspaper Junge Welt, May 16, 2024

“If fan protests remain within the framework of the regulations, they remain without sanctions” (Rapid Fans, May 5, 2024)

Active fans and football games – what is the situation in Austria, are protests from the corners part of everyday league life?

Fan protests take place again and again in Austria, as in all football stadiums in the world. They are usually event-related. The focus of such protests is often on international developments in football, association decisions, especially on sanctions against a club, but also dissatisfaction with one’s own club. The Austrian Football Bundesliga, ÖFBL, should emphasize that fan protests can take place within the framework of freedom of expression as long as they do not violate association regulations. So no discriminatory content, no danger to people and no influence on the game.

Keyword “fan violence”. Are physical attacks increasing during game days in the arenas?

No, on the contrary. Fan violence has decreased across the board in recent years. If there are any disputes at all, the crime scene is usually outside the stadium. If such incidents occur at all, they tend to occur in emotionally charged games such as derbies.

What sanctions follow violent conflicts between fan groups?

If fan protests fall within the framework of the above-mentioned regulations, they remain without sanctions. However, if we discover violations, proceedings will be initiated against the respective club to which the fans are attributable.

And who imposes stadium bans and on what legal basis?

If actions take place that result in an offense in accordance with the stadium ban regulations of the Austrian Football Association, ÖFB, stadium ban proceedings can also be initiated against individuals. For example, the illegal use of pyrotechnics. In Austria and in the league there is the possibility of having pyrotechnics officially approved and therefore burned down legally. Throwing objects onto the field and, last but not least, fighting are also sanctioned.

Stadium ban proceedings can be initiated on the one hand due to a data transmission by the security authority, and on the other hand based on a club application. In this context, it should be noted that the Security Police Act represents the legal basis for data transfers by the security authority. Stadium bans are issued by the ÖFB Committee for Prevention and Stadium Bans on the basis of the ÖFB Stadium Ban Regulations. These are not a sanction against criminally relevant behavior, but rather a preventive measure on a civil law basis, i.e. concerning house rules.

Impose Authoritieslike in Germany, against so-called fans area entry or staybans for cityareas?

At least stadium bans can also be imposed for behavior outside the stadium if there is a connection to the football event. This includes, for example, travel to and from the stadium. There are no area entry bans in the sense you are asking about. But the Security Police Act provides for further preventive measures to impose reporting requirements, instructions and compulsory presentation and detention.

And what about collective punishments, such as block bans and games without an audience?

Collective punishments in the form of spectator exclusions are currently not being imposed by the ÖFBL’s responsible criminal senate. A sanction concept is currently being used that focuses on identifying individual perpetrators and deducting points for the club, staggered according to escalation levels in the event of repeated, serious cases of fan violence.