UEFA welcomes the UKFPU report

UEFA welcomes the report commissioned by the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) on the safety and treatment of English supporters travelling to away matches across Europe. It is a strong contribution to the ongoing work being done to strengthen and improve the fan experience at the European level and it underlines the type of feedback UEFA receives through its close relations with the European National Football Information Points (NFIP) and Football Supporters Europe (FSE). Our work with FSE already includes an away fans survey after each club competition match week which guides the discussions and actions of our visiting fans sector working group.

The aim must always be to provide the highest level of safety, security and service for all fans attending UEFA matches – and while this survey shows there is room for improvement it is also important to recognise and commend the clubs and police forces who work tirelessly to provide some great football-fan experiences in many countries, including Germany, which is gearing up to host the men’s UEFA European Championship and stage some spectacular national team football this summer.

UEFA believes that this research from the UKFPU serves to reinforce the consistent messaging from our own studies: that when all parties cooperate openly and plan safety and security-related matters together well ahead of matches, it generally leads to a very positive outcome for the benefit of all stakeholders. Because of this, UEFA will continue to welcome all such initiatives, research and constructive feedback that serve to improve the match day experience. Knowledge exchange and communication remain the foundations of best practices and consistent improvement in football operations to foster a warm and welcoming environment for fans.