DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Mix it up. Stay alert. Feign emotion if necessary.
Among the thousands of fans in the stands of the biggest football matches in Europe are some people who operate undercover. Trained volunteer observers listen for racist chants and watch for extremist symbols on banners.
“You have to be aware of the environment and fit in without standing out. You have to be discreet,” an observer who has worked at games for some of soccer’s best-known clubs and national teams told The Associated Press.
“Obviously nothing is posted on social media. You have to be anonymous. You have to go unnoticed. Don’t start conversations with anyone.”
The observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the job requires it, is part of a program conducted on behalf of European soccer’s governing body UEFA by the Fare Network, a leading anti-discrimination group. Fare monitors about 120 games a season in Europe’s three main men’s club competitions, chief executive Piara Powar told the AP, and more around the world in national team events such as World Cup qualifying.
Evidence from the show, including photos taken surreptitiously from the stands, is used in disciplinary cases against clubs or national teams whose fans display racist behavior in European competitions such as the Champions League.
It is not a career, but a way to improve football for the future, the observer said.
Observers work on a voluntary basis, with expenses covered, and are expected to keep an eye on the social media of hardcore fan groups to track where incidents may occur.
Inside the stadium, an observer watches the stands for signs of racist, homophobic, sexist or discriminatory chants or banners, while also watching the action on the pitch, shaping what happens among the fans.
“If you have a disgruntled fan base and they beat them 5-0 and knock them out of a competition where they felt they were going to progress, then that could be another catalyst,” The Observer said. “You have to constantly read the situation as it unfolds.”
Observers are expected to be familiar with the symbols used by nationalist groups, especially the logos and numerical codes, such as 88 for Heil Hitler, which they use to send covert messages.
Games are given risk ratings to determine how many spotters are needed, and up to three spotters can work the highest risk games.
Sometimes a game rated “medium risk” can unexpectedly “blow up in your face,” the observer added. That sparks a scramble to document the evidence and send it to a UEFA delegate in the stands, not always easy with overloaded stadium Wi-Fi.
That documentation may be used by UEFA’s disciplinary unit for “further investigations and possible proceedings,” the European soccer governing body said in a statement to the AP.
Incidents of hooliganism have decreased in European football in recent decades, but some groups of fans have a reputation for racist behavior and violence. For security reasons, the identity of observers in a game is known by as few people as possible.
The observer described feeling “uncomfortable” in some situations, but never in personal danger. Watchers are not expected to infiltrate tight-knit groups of hardcore fans, but rather watch from a distance.
“You have to get as close as you can, but be as far away as your safety requires,” the spotter said.
Fare’s work is not always welcome.
In a case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport over a banner at a 2019 game found to contain a coded racist message, Georgian club Dinamo Tbilisi sought to challenge Fare’s assessment, arguing that the observer who collected the evidence was “trained professionally to recognize potentially racist symbols and is therefore biased.”
The panel rejected the argument, noting that even if the banner’s message was not clear to most fans, it still violated the rules against racist messages.
Like referees, Fare spotters are not allowed to work matches involving clubs they support. The observer said the goal is to make the atmosphere at the games safer and more inclusive for the future.
Over several years of working on games, the observer has seen changes for the better, but so far only “baby steps”.
“It is a professional effort. It’s not for fun,” said the observer.
“I am indifferent to the results. When they score a goal, sometimes I have to stand up to pretend to be excited, but they are teams with which I don’t have any emotional moments”.
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AP sportswriter Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.
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