UEFA president Michel Platini on Tuesday warned of an "insidious" rise of extremism in Europe which he said had brought a new risk of troubles in football stadiums.
Platini, who is to be reelected unopposed to a third term leading Europe's governing body, said governments had to stop a return to football's dark days when "hooligans and all manner of fanatics called the shots" in many European stadiums.
The former football star highlighted the 30th anniversary of the 1985 Heysel stadium disaster in Brussels, one of the darkest days of football history, when he was playing for Juventus against Liverpool.
"Europe is seeing a rise in nationalism and extremism the like of which we have not witnessed for a very long time," Platini told UEFA's annual congress in Vienna.
"This insidious trend can also be observed in our stadiums, as football is a reflection of society. Given its popularity, our sport is a barometer for the ills of our continent. And that barometer is pointing to some worrying developments."
Crowd troubles and racist abuse have mounted in stadiums across Europe in the past two years. Police clashed with fans in Rotterdam and Kiev in European competitions in recent weeks.
"In these battles that we are fighting, we feel as if we have been left to fend for ourselves somewhat. And yet, these are battles that can only be won with the help of the public authorities," Platini added.
The UEFA president said that governments had to take action "so that we can avoid reliving the dark days of a not-so-distant past – a past where hooligans and all manner of fanatics called the shots in certain European stadiums.
"In recent months, we have all been struck by certain images that I thought were a thing of the past. Some of us experienced that past at first hand. In my case, it was exactly 30 years ago."
Platini was a key player for Juventus in the Heysel stadium where 39 mainly Juventus fans were crushed to death following troubles in the stadium.
Platini called for tougher and European wide bans on known troublemakers in stadiums.
"We need tougher stadium bans at European level and – I will say it again – the creation of a European sports police force," he said.
Source: AFP