The number of incidents registered by the PSP at UEFA matches in Portugal has already surpassed last season’s incidents by around 200, says a study released this Thursday at the Estádios de Sítio seminar.
These indicators, from 533 cases to date, for the period from June 1, 2022 to February 20, 2023, against the 330 recorded in the last European season, confirm “a gradual increase in incidents after the pandemic”.
According to Commissioner Iúri Rodrigues, the recorded increase in incidents in the context of UEFA matches, mostly related to the possession and use of pyrotechnic devices, “shows greater police proactivity in preventing and detecting them”.
As for the groups of fans belonging to the big three, the No Name Boys, linked to Benfica, lead the list of incidents for the current season, with 401 records, followed by Juventude Leonina (Sporting), with 172, and Super Dragões ( FC Porto), with 138.
The numbers of the cheering groups of the big three – Benfica, Sporting and FC Porto – added to the cases involving Sporting de Braga supporters represent 82.4 per cent of the violent incidents recorded by the PSP to date.
In addition to pyrotechnic devices, other aspects of sports-related violence that have received the attention of the PSP are related to the so-called “casual” phenomenon, which can be understood as a subculture of hooliganism.
“The accidental phenomenon is a subculture with a higher level of violence, premeditated and more organized, dating back, in the case of Portugal, to 2013, with clashes between supporters of Sp. Braga and FC Porto”Commissioner Ricardo Conceicao said.
The so-called casual, almost always with no known connection to the official cheerleading groups, organize themselves into groups and wear shirts without club symbols to evade the surveillance of security guards, and are extremely violent.
The study presented by the PSP at the Estádios de Sítio seminar also states that 313 people are denied access to sports venues in the context of combating and preventing violence related to sport.
The 4th edition of the initiative, themed Security, Protection and Service in a Multi-Institutional, Integrated and Balanced Approach – A Process of Shared Responsibility, will take place this Thursday and Friday at the Almeida Garrett Library in Porto.
Source: DN
