Explained: Why Serbia vs England has been branded the most 'high-risk' clash of Euro 2024
England's Euro 2024 opener against Serbia has been deemed the most 'high-risk' match of the tournament because of the threat of fan disorder. Some 500 Serbian hooligans are expected to try and cause trouble in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday (June 16).
According to the Evening Standard, German police are prepared for hooligans ahead of the Three Lions' game against the Eagles at Veltins-Arena. Around 40,000 English fans and 5,000-8,000 Serbian fans are estimated to be attending the game. 500 of the latter could include 'violence-seeking' Serbian ultras.
Serbian football is renowned for fan violence, with hooligan firms, including The Gravediggers and Head Hunters, often targeting one another and linked to organized crime groups. They caused problems during European games, including attacks against Manchester City fans when they visited Red Star Belgrade in the UEFA Champions League (December 13).
Peter Both, the chief of police in Gelsenkirchen' gave a statement about the situation (via the source above):
"Up to 400 or 500 violence-seeking Serbian hooligans will travel to Germany, but we don't know it exactly, and so that's our problem at the moment. We don't have concrete information, but we can't rule it out, so we have to prepare."
There was crowd trouble during Euro 2020, largely due to English fans. 2,000 ticketless fans swarmed Wembley Stadium to watch England lose to Italy in the final just as COVID-19 restrictions were lifting.
The Three Lions' clash with Serbia starts at 9 PM (CEST) local time. Gareth Southgate's men are one of the favorites to win Euro 2024. They arrive in Germany off a dodgy run of friendly results, last losing 1-0 to Iceland at Wembley (June 7).
England's training camp and accommodation for Euro 2024
England will train at Weimarer Land Resort, a five-star hotel in Blankenhain, during Euro 2024. The hotel is located east of Germany's centre and includes two full-sized football pitches, a gym, and a wellness centre.
Several bars and restaurants in the hotel have an on-call robot waiter named Kehrbart, who helps by collecting dishes and cutlery for cleaning. The Three Lions can relax at the luxurious hotel ahead of games in Group C against Serbia, Denmark (June 20), and Slovenia (June 25).
England players' other halves are set to be located in a hotel 20 miles away. Southgate doesn't want distractions as his team tries to end the nation's 58-year trophy drought.