When you hear the words “fan violence,” most people think of soccer. The murder of Colombia’s Andres Escobar following the 1994 World Cup comes to mind, so too, perhaps, does the rioting during the Sicilian derby between Palermo and Catania Calcio that resulted in the death of a police officer. Those are high profile examples, but it wouldn’t take long to make a list of other significant events related hooliganism across the globe this year. What about the Man United fans who were stabbed by Roma supporters and beaten by policemen last week? Or the clash between Spurs fans and police in Seville two days later?
Is the game degenerating into violence? The Financial Times’ Simon Kuper actually says no — rather, it’s degenerating into hysteria, because violence in soccer is on the wane. At least it is in England. Premiership crowds are approaching a 35-year peak, while arrests are at their lowest level since records began. It’s so safe Kuper says the police no longer bother attending 43 percent of domestic matches. Over in Italy, the tragedy in Sicily prompted a serious crackdown on hooliganism and new safety measures for Italian stadiums. He says Italy would do well to pay closer attention to its domestic murder problem: of the 700 expected murders in the country this year, only one will have been at a soccer match. High-level soccer is only getting safer, Kuper says; it’s the poorer, less publicized leagues in places like Poland, Serbia, and Argentina that fans have to worry about.