FIFA confirms national security officers workshops

29 Apr 2009

FIFA President Sepp Blatter urged members of FIFA's Stadium and Security Committee at the group's second meeting to work together to prevent tragedies such as the recent one in Cote d´Ivoire, where 19 people died outside the stadium, from recurring. The meeting took place in Zurich on 21 April, 2009.

FIFA confirms national security officers workshops

Blatter said that "not one human life should be put in the balance by football" and the committee unanimously supported the proposal that where there are confirmed cases of security issues, the kick-off of forthcoming matches should be delayed. The match commissioner and referees should therefore not start a match unless security is established outside the stadia and spectators have taken their seats.

The committee, chaired by Junji Ogura of Japan, confirmed the dates for a FIFA National Security Officers workshop in each of the six confederations. Starting in Cairo in May 2009 and finishing in Miami in early 2010, the workshops form part of the Global FIFA Security Concept.

The workshops will involve the national security officers from each respective FIFA member association, confederation security officers, as well as members of FIFA´s Stadium and Security Committee. A core focus will be on the implementation of FIFA´s Safety Regulations which have been in operation since 1 January 2009, and which followed the previously existing stadium security guidelines.

The committee also received an update on the stadium and safety security inspections for FIFA´s 2009 competitions, as well as for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Finally the committee approved that two member associations are currently not in compliance with the FIFA Safety Regulations.

Football Kenya Ltd in line with Article 18, Paragraph 11 have been informed that they will be required to reduce the stadium capacity in Nairobi to 60% for the next games of their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. The Football Association of Malawi have also been informed they will be required to move its next three home games away from the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre if they do not comply with the regulations, with a deadline of 15 May, 2009 set.