Secret filming to combat football violence

Although many football fans just want to watch their team, violent behaviour persists Keystone

The Swiss Football League (SFL) has started secretly filming and taking photos in- and outside stadiums to try to reduce violence. Camera teams have been keeping an eye on troublesome fans at high-risk matches since mid-March.

The SFL announced on Tuesday that the project, called Focus One, was to try to counteract criticism that the league was not doing enough to cut down on hooliganism, with a particular emphasis on fans at away games.

The camera teams have been present at seven games so far, so long as the local authorities have given the go-ahead. A number of cases have been documented inside stadiums so far, resulting in 35 reports which have been handed over to the law enforcement authorities.

Twenty-six files alone came out of the game between FC Basel and FC Zurich on April 12, where violent clashes between supporters broke out.

The project, which is costing CHF100,000 ($110,000), will be evaluated at the end of the season. Whether the pictures can be used as evidence in a court is one of the controversial legal points surrounding this project. The SFL sought legal advice and consulted the federal data protection officer, who recommended a restricted use of the cameras. They are therefore only used at high-risk matches and only after consulting the local authorities.

The data protection officer said in a statement it was “tricky” when a private person made secret recordings. It could be “acceptable” at football matches in the context of the pilot project if the footage or photos were used for “clarification” purposes concerning a severe act of violence, when a different approach would not have worked.

The SFL also wants to improve its camera surveillance inside stadiums to be able to better hold perpetrators of violence to account. Another measure to crack down on football hooliganism is the harmonisation of a nationwide network of stadium bans.