Paying the Price

The riot at the Saxony State Cup game last weekend between Lokomotiv Leipzig and Erzgebirge Aue II reminded Germany that the scourge of hooliganism is far from defeated.

This should, in fact, come as no surprise to anybody. Soccer hooliganism, as a phenomenon, has proved notoriously hard to eradicate in all the countries infected by it. The riots in Leipzig only illustrated the point that the war against hooliganism has not been won; the battle lines have just been redrawn.

The fact that some of the worst domestic soccer-related violence seen in Germany for years took place in a lowly state cup match between two regional division teams shows the modern nature of soccer hooliganism, not just in Germany but across Europe. The hooligan groups have been forced out of the top-flight leagues by ticket pricing and advanced security measures. They now take their fight to stadiums and games where the pickings are easy.

The German Soccer Federation (DFB) had little choice but to suspend all games in the state of Saxony this weekend as a reaction to the violence in Leipzig. There needed to be a response and a fast one; one which showed the DFB to be capable of reacting to -- and stamping its authority on -- the events at hand. But the decision only harms the real fans and the clubs. If the DFB and the rest of Europe's soccer associations are going to stamp out hooliganism effectively, radical reforms throughout the entire game are necessary.

An unequal distribution of wealth

European soccer has long been a sport which has suffered from an unequal distribution of wealth. The top leagues with the top clubs get the most money. Even within the top leagues, there are divisions. Those with the cash can buy the best players, win the most prize money and become more glamorous than the others, securing more media rights and the lion's share of revenue.

The best example of this is the English Premiership. Before its creation, the English Division One was a league of grimy, terraced stadiums and embedded hooliganism. The "English Disease," which later spread across Europe, was cultivated in this very environment during the razor-slashed 70s and 80s.

Only after the Heysel stadium disaster and Bradford City fire in 1985 and the deaths of 96 fans at Hillsborough in 1989 did England wake up to its problems at home. A new league, rich in TV revenue, was formed out of the reforms and top-flight clubs were forced to spend the first of their new riches on making their stadiums all-seaters.

Eventually, the Premiership became a truly elite league and the hooligans were priced out of the top clubs. Those not benefiting from the new money could not afford the new security and therefore inherited the rich clubs' thugs.

Rich Italian league at the mercy of ultras

"But what about Italy?" you may ask. "Isn't Serie A a rich league? Why is hooliganism rife in Italy's top flight?" Serie A does have money -- lots of it. But that doesn't mean that it is spent wisely.

When the league was suspended for a weekend after the Catania-Palermo riots, many top clubs were in danger of not being able to play under new government guidelines for safety and security because they could not afford to adapt their stadiums. Where was the money then?

Italy also suffers from a culture where the top clubs turn a blind eye to their "ultras" as these radical groups encourage and provide massive fan support. "Ultra" groups are even provided with special ticket and travel arrangements by some clubs. Italian soccer in the 21st century looks a lot like English soccer did 30 years ago with antiquated and dirty stadiums, no-go areas for police, inept sports authorities and dithering government ministers. The major difference is the "ultra" organizations, which is why a rich league like Italy's is in such a mess.

Germany's own hooliganism problem of the 1980's was successfully tackled in the Bundesliga in much the same way as it was in England. The flood of cash from TV rights provided the top clubs with the necessary means to add the latest security and ticketing measures and improve their stadiums. And, as in England, hooliganism abandoned the top flight for the lower leagues.

Persuading the rich to give to the poor

For hooliganism to be tackled effectively -- and for any real chance of eliminating it for good -- soccer has to restructure its finances. There has to be a fairer system of cash distribution throughout the leagues, with lower division clubs assisted financially by the national and international associations.

Soccer could also adopt a system not unlike the European Union's where the bigger clubs could pay into a central fund and the money used to help poorer clubs build better stadiums and afford better security. Cash put aside for a new hotel complex at a top club could be divided up and used to better effect installing CCTV cameras, replacing old terracing or paying for extra police in the lower divisions.

This would, of course, mean that soccer's big boys would have to sacrifice some of their income while politicians would have to risk upsetting powerful lobbyists within the sport's structure. But when people are killed and maimed in the name of the game, is this really such a high price to pay?

Nick Amies is a journalist with DW-WORLD.DE's English team who covers German, European and international soccer.