Violence at football grounds, clashes between rival supporters and repeated concerns over the safety of sporting events have brought an important question back into focus: does Cyprus need a specialised sports police unit?
Experience in several European countries suggests that tackling football hooliganism involves more than deploying officers inside stadiums. It can also require dedicated intelligence units, risk assessments, cooperation with clubs and targeted restrictions on individuals involved in violence.
Establishing a specialised sports police unit could offer a different approach to tackling fan violence in Cyprus. The issue, however, is not simply whether more officers are needed at stadiums, but whether the country needs a permanent, specially trained structure focused exclusively on preventing and addressing violence in sport.
Several European countries have developed specialised police services or networks of officers dedicated to football. These do not always operate as independent police forces. In most cases, they are specialised units within existing police structures that work with football authorities and event organisers.
The question for Cyprus is whether a similar model could be adapted to the country’s size and the particular circumstances of its football scene.
Britain: Dedicated police officers for football clubs
The British model is one of the most established examples of specialised football policing.
The United Kingdom Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) operates as a central service supporting police forces in tackling football-related violence.
It coordinates national strategy, collects information on incidents and arrests, provides training and supports the exchange of intelligence with other countries.
Local police forces also appoint Dedicated Football Officers, who are assigned to specific football clubs.
Their work goes beyond policing match days. They maintain contact with clubs and organised supporters, gather intelligence on potential tensions, contribute to security planning and accompany groups of fans travelling to away matches.
The British approach also includes Football Banning Orders, court orders that can prevent individuals from attending football matches. In certain cases, those subject to the orders may also be required to surrender their passports ahead of international tournaments.
According to figures from the British Home Office, 2,439 such orders were in force in England and Wales on 1 June 2025. A total of 1,932 football-related arrests were recorded during the 2024-25 season.
The system has not eliminated violence, but it provides a specialised framework for prevention, monitoring and enforcement.
Greece: A dedicated unit targeting organised sports violence
Greece established a specialised police structure in 2024 to tackle organised sports-related violence.
The Sub-Directorate for Combating Organised Sports Violence includes departments responsible for intelligence, specialised investigations and the protection of sports teams.
Its responsibilities include gathering information, identifying individuals involved in serious incidents and investigating organised criminal activity linked to sport.
The Greek model treats organised fan violence not only as a public order issue, but also as an area requiring dedicated police investigations.
In December 2025, the Hellenic Police also announced that more than 1,900 officers had completed specialised training in sporting event security and the prevention of violence.
The Netherlands: Targeted monitoring and stadium bans
The Netherlands operates a system based on cooperation between police, local authorities, prosecutors, the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) and football clubs.
A central role is played by the Centraal Informatiepunt Voetbalvandalisme (CIV), which collects and analyses information about football-related violence.
Before every professional match, authorities conduct a risk assessment based on historical data and current intelligence.
They can then impose targeted measures against individuals involved in disturbances. These may include stadium bans, restrictions on access to specific areas and, where provided for by law, requirements to report to a police station.
The underlying principle is to restrict those considered responsible for violence rather than treating all supporters as potential threats.
Belgium: Specialised service and administrative penalties
Belgium follows a different but equally notable approach.
The federal Interior Ministry operates the Cellule Football, a specialised service responsible for imposing administrative penalties for breaches of football safety legislation.
These penalties can include administrative fines and stadium bans.
Responsibility for security inside the stadium rests primarily with the event organiser and the designated safety officer. Police are responsible for maintaining public order and intervening when serious risks arise.
The model combines police enforcement with administrative oversight and clearly defined responsibilities for football clubs.
Italy: Risk assessment, intelligence and banning orders
Italy has established the Osservatorio Nazionale sulle Manifestazioni Sportive, or National Observatory for Sporting Events, under the Interior Ministry.
The body assesses the level of risk associated with matches and recommends security measures.
Meanwhile, the National Information Centre for Sporting Events (CNIMS) collects and analyses information about stadium violence. Police units known as DIGOS also monitor organised ultras groups within the scope of their responsibilities.
Italy additionally applies the DASPO measure, which allows individuals to be banned from sporting events under the conditions set out in the relevant legislation.
The Italian system places particular emphasis on assessing risks before matches and sharing information between the authorities involved.
European cooperation in football policing
Tackling fan violence has also become an organised area of European police cooperation.
National Football Information Points (NFIPs) allow police authorities in different countries to exchange information about international matches, supporter travel and potential security risks.
In September and October 2026, a specialised training programme organised by CEPOL, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training, in cooperation with UEFA, took place in Slovakia.
The programme was aimed at police commanders, intelligence officers and personnel involved in monitoring football-related violence.
What could Cyprus introduce?
Cyprus already has a specific legal framework for preventing and combating violence at sporting venues, primarily under Law 48(I)/2008 and its subsequent amendments.
A sports police unit would therefore not necessarily require the creation of an entirely new force. It could instead take the form of a permanent specialised unit within the Cyprus Police.
Such a unit could be responsible for analysing intelligence on organised groups involved in violent incidents, assessing the risk posed by individual matches, supporting investigations into sport-related offences and coordinating with clubs, the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) and European police authorities.
Appointing dedicated police officers as points of contact for individual clubs, following the British model, could also be important. This would establish regular communication rather than relying solely on police mobilisation on match days.
At the same time, any such system would need clear safeguards on personal data, proportionality and accountability. Preventing violence should not lead to unjustified surveillance of supporters.
A specialised police unit would also not remove clubs’ responsibilities for stadium security, entry checks and match organisation.
The question facing Cyprus
European experience shows that there is no single model for sports policing.
Britain relies on dedicated club liaison officers and court-imposed banning orders. Greece has established a specialised unit targeting organised sports violence. The Netherlands places emphasis on cooperation and intelligence sharing, Belgium combines policing with administrative penalties, while Italy focuses on centralised risk assessment.
What these approaches have in common is that tackling violence does not begin with the first whistle or end when supporters leave the stadium.
For Cyprus, the central question is whether the existing system has the necessary expertise, continuity and operational capacity, or whether a new permanent structure is needed.
Also read: Limassol World Sambo Championship faces cancellation over Russian athlete restrictions
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel
