35 Countries | 15 Questions Benvenuti a Bosco Albergati!
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freedomfreedom forfor thethe terracesterraces 20142014 35 COUNTRIES | 15 QUESTIONS BENVENUTI A BOSCO ALBERGATI! Twelve months passed by and we are all together again on European Football Fans Congress. The 7th congress takes place in Bosco Albergati, Italy – at the Mondiali Antirazzisti (world’s biggest anti-racist football festival). This project has started originally as a part of an exhibition in Hamburg, in 2006. It’s still an exhibition – every year as a part of European Football Fans Congress - but it’s also published as a reader. As the time runs by it’s also deep and big research organised and developed by football fans. And it’s still growing! For this year we would like to warmly welcome Australia as a new member in our project. As usually, we addressed 35 supporters all over the world. And as the result we submitted to you presentation of all of those 35 countries, which 27 of them were newly updated for this year. Rest updates will follow in online version of the reader in a few weeks. “Freedom of the terraces” is a project of ProFans in association with FSE. ProFans is a nationwide supporters’ organisation in Germany, dedicated in the fight of supporter’s rights. Actually, ProFans and FSE just provide an organisational framework, but work is done by many other people around Europe, resp. around the World. We have to say that you did a fantastic work this year again. So, thank you very much, for answering our questions, connecting people or just being supportive! The result is magnificent! In case of any question or if you miss a country or you would like to add something, don’t hesitate to contact us via e-mail: [email protected] And now: Enjoy! Sandra/Hamburg & Dan/Prague ProFans, July 2014 www.profans.de/freedom-for-the-terraces – 1 – ARGENTINA s ► Capital: Buenos Aires ► Language: Spanish ► No. of inhabitants: 40.1 million ► No. of fi rst fi rst league teams: 20 ► Part since: 2008 ► Last Update: 2014 Which restrictions do fans face when they want to get their ma- Give us three typical examples of police conduct towards fans 1. terial (scarves, fl ags, etc.) into the stadiums? Are home fans and 3. (e. g. police escort at away games). away fans treated differently? If so, in what way? First of all, we should mention that the organised supporters’ groups In Argentina, there seem to be as many rules as security chiefs. (usually known as “barras bravas”) are escorted by the police when Each security chief moulds the rules, which is why different criteria they travel to away games. These restrictions tend to create lots of prevail. For instance, at some stadia in the district of Buenos Aires, problems: sometimes they guide the visitors to the home entrance it is forbidden to enter with banners that are longer than two me- by mistake or produce fi ghts between the police and the groups ters. At other stadiums in the same area, all kinds of banners, even they have in custody. Secondly, the home supporters have to wait drums and other forms of percussion are allowed. Arbitrariness is in the stadiums for 15 or 20 minutes after the match has fi nished. also widespread: local fans are often given permission that visitors This police strategy often remains incomprehensible and therefore never obtain. generates inconveniences among the home supporters. Someti- mes home supporters avoid this policy due to the negligence or Every district has its own rules because every province (each of indolence of the police - which produces confrontations. Thirdly, Argentina’s 23 states) is autonomous, so the criteria are not unifi ed. police have developed different measures to fi lter out intoxicated Arbitrariness in terms of decisions is a big problem and, in general, fans or those with pending court hearings from entering the sta- clubs have agreements or “friendship” with the local police. Another diums. Police have established various methods to measure the important thing is that up to the current season in the second and level of alcohol and can register offenders by fi ngerprints. None of third divisions, away fans were not allowed into stadiums during those measures has been very effective: only a few people can be matches. This was changed only because River Plate (the biggest checked because such devices cause delays. In general, their ef- football team in Argentina) was relegated to the second division. fectiveness in reducing violence in sport is questionable. Then, there’s the issue of the law that prohibits fans from showing The delays are actually an excuse given by the Ministry of Security. fl ags or banners with racist slogans and wearing clothes or showing There are no real reasons for not updating the system. the colours of the rival team. Also, a lot of “barras bravas” keep their fl ags in the club in spaces provided by the club directors themsel- Do the organized fans (ultras) form a network with fans of other ves. As to the purchase of fl ags or scarves, there’s normally a stand clubs and how does that work? Which functions and objectives near the stadium on match days or in the club or on the Internet. 4. do their alliances have? The problem is when people want to install big fl ags in stadiums during matches: they always need the authorisation from the hoo- The organised fan groups, the “barras bravas”, do not have a formal ligans. relationship with each other. They are focused on a constant fi ght for symbolic supremacy – who has the biggest group, who has the Are stadium bans imposed in your country and / or do you have a best singing group, who can mobilise more fans for away games, 2. state-run central register of “potentially dangerous fans”? who is involved in most fi ghts. In some cases, there are alliances or help to face the police or judicial prosecution. Any such solidarity is - Which “offence” can lead to a stadium ban? however, temporary and individual rather than a permanent feature - What does a stadium ban mean (duration, regional boundaries)? among the organisations. - What incidents would add your name to this central register? - Which consequences could such a registration have for an individual? In Argentina there are not associations with fans of different teams, as we can fi nd in Europe for example. There is a register of those who have committed a crime in the fi eld of football, but it is not updated and not actually used. The What measures do you take against restrictions, bans and repres- punishments refer to participation in violent acts, fi ghts among fans 5. sion, as individuals, regionally or even nationwide (e. g. banners)? or against security forces. Spectators are afraid to be identifi ed as How do your clubs support your claims and your work? violent actors because it would lead to stadium bans. Nevertheless, This question should be answered by the authorities and the fans many convicted people ignore the prohibitions and enter the stadi- separately. We are just experts in the fi eld, not the actors. But: there ums by seizing the opportunity to hide in the middle of the crowd, are no groups of organized fans, just the “barras”, therefore there helped by the complicity of an inoperative police force. are neither measures nor actions against restrictions and repression. s – 2 – ARGENTINA s Is the usage of pyrotechnic articles / flare legal or tolerated in your To what extent does discrimination exist inside stadiums 6. country? If so, on what terms? If not, what kinds of sanctions are 10. (especially racism & homophobia)? Are there any actions to there? fight this issue (FA, clubs, nationwide organisations, local supporters’ groups)? No, people are not allowed to use any of those articles. A fan of Racing Club was killed by a flare in 1983 during a match between There are two particular cases of racism inside stadiums: Boca Racing Club and Boca Juniors. From then on, these articles have Juniors is historically linked to have fans coming from the lower been banned. However, no-one respects the existing law. The pu- classes, immigrants from neighbor countries (specially Bolivia and nishment is discretional and depends on the judge. Nowadays, the Paraguay) so many clubs sing racist chants about it. The other case sanctions are for clubs, not for fanatics. is a club from the 2nd / 3rd tier, Atlanta, that is linked to the Jewish community. Do you have standing areas? If so, in what proportion are the Since a few years ago referees are instructed to stop the game numbers of standing spaces to the number of seats? Is the inclu- 7. when racist chants are sang and they do it, but just for a few mi- sion of an appropriate number of standing spaces taken into account nutes until this songs end and there are no punishments at all for with new stadia? the clubs. In Argentina not met the FIFA regulations to be all seated. Football Anyway, we can’t say that racism is a big problem in Argentinean stadium in two sectors: one called „pit“, where chairs to sit, this sec- stadiums. If we compare racist manifestations versus problems of tor has always existed and this is for people more calm and seniors. physical violence we can definitively say that the racism is not an And other popular area known generally, is the area behind the ar- important problem here. ches where ALL ARE STANDING. In Argentina has tried to start with the FIFA regulations, to be all seated but has not been achieved yet.