Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Cas Mudde

Moral panic over a rise in violence ahead of Euro 2024 is bad for fans like me – and bad for football

Riot police at a match between FC Nantes and RC Strasbourg Alsace in Nantes, France, 16 March 2024.
‘Almost always, the response to ‘hooliganism’ leans towards the authoritarian.’ Riot police at a match between FC Nantes and RC Strasbourg Alsace in Nantes, France, 16 March 2024. Photograph: Damien Meyer/AFP/Getty Images

Football fans heading to the stadiums of Germany for Euro 24 this summer face “a resurgence in far-right neo-Nazi hooligans who have been overwhelming the police across Europe”, the Sun has warned, with its usual sense for nuance.

It was just one of many recent articles that have appeared in British and other European media on the alleged “return” of “hooliganism” in Europe. The situation is apparently so bad that governments in countries such as France and the Netherlands have vowed to tackle the issue. Almost always, the response leans towards the authoritarian, including calls for more police and more restrictions.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.