German police demand England fans are only served low-alcohol beer – and can’t drink in the stands – as they label first Euros game against Serbia ‘high risk’ due to nations’ ‘many hooligans’

German police are stepping up security ahead of England’s opening match against Serbia and have reportedly demanded the VELTINS Arena serve low-alcohol beer to Three Lions fans – likely to be around 1 percent.

Officials have claimed the match is a ‘high risk’ draw after noting there is a chance that hooligan fans from either side could try to cause violence in and around the VELTINS Arena, in Gelsenkirchen, home of Schalke 04 .

Around 40,000 England fans are expected to travel to support Gareth Southgate’s side, while only around 5,000 to 8,000 Serbian fans will travel to Gelsenkirchen for Sunday’s match.

According to Sky News, fans will not be allowed to drink in the stands of VELTINS Arena during the match, with the arena, which has a state-of-the-art network of 5km of beer pumps, being urged by police to serve low prices. percentage of alcohol.

“I think it is a very high-risk game because of the history and because of the hooligans that both sides have,” Chief Inspector Christof Burghardt told Sky News.

‘Serbia has a lot of hooligans. The English boys are sometimes very aggressive with alcohol.

“So it’s a great job doing this, preparing so that hopefully nothing happens.”

The local police are afraid that violence may take place in and around the city this weekend, says police chief Peter Both The guard that ‘up to 400 to 500 violence-hungry Serbian hooligans will travel to Germany’.

He added: ‘The biggest challenge for us will be to identify violent, disruptive groups at an early stage, to separate them from peaceful and law-abiding fans.’

German police are currently working with authorities in Britain and Serbia in the hope of ensuring no ugly scenes occur during this weekend’s match.

Officials hope to avoid the disruption seen during Euro 2016 in France. Hooligans clashed with riot police on the Champs-Elysées and other Paris suburbs, with gangs of individuals causing unrest in the French capital.

Sky News states that around 22,000 officers will be on duty on each day of Euro 2024, while 16,000 officers from other countries will also provide support.

German police authorities have already issued warnings to English fans considering singing chants such as ’10 German Bombers’ during the championship.

Both said, per The Telegraph: ‘I would say to them: don’t be advertising***. When they sing a song like that, I can’t change it.”

According to The mirroraround 300 specialist European police officers will travel to a ‘purpose-built centre, the International Police Cooperation Centre’ in the city of Neuss, Germany, where they will monitor and conduct police operations during the tournament.

Countries from all over Europe will be represented there with a unit that will protect the tournament participants from any problems that may arise.

More to follow…