Rome security summit

UEFA was invited by the Italian Ministry of Interior and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to address various safety and security aspects related to international football matches at a meeting of the Italian National Observatory on Sports Events in Rome.

Successful stewarding and policing
The meeting was attended by Italian government and police representatives, as well as security officials of the Italian clubs taking part in this season's UEFA competitions. Topics such as stewarding and successful policing of football matches dominated the agenda. "The event provided an opportunity to exchange best practices and to review the concept of security planning for UEFA matches," said UEFA's head of stadium and security Marc Timmer.

Close co-operation
UEFA insists that efficient security measures in and around stadiums are essential for football's future well-being. Consequently, close co-operation is being pursued between all the relevant parties in preventing and tackling disorder and violence in the game. According to the Ministry of Interior representative, Roberto Massucci, the meeting provided a further step forward in overall efforts to ensure a safe, secure and service-orientated match environment.

Zero tolerance
UEFA President Michel Platini recently reiterated his policy of zero tolerance towards violence and racism in stadiums - calling on the clubs to help UEFA by implementing a system of qualified stewards and by only recognising supporters' associations which clearly and unambiguously rejected violence and racism. The Italian Ministry of Interior and FIGC will also host an international two-day conference on successful stewarding from 7 to 9 October.