UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier fan attack
Encyclopedia
A fan attack
occurred at the Euro 2008 qualifying
match between the national football
teams of Sweden
and Denmark
, at the Parken Stadium
in Copenhagen
on 2 June 2007. A Danish supporter ran onto the pitch and attacked referee Herbert Fandel
, after the referee had awarded Sweden a penalty in the 89th minute of the match and sent off Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen
for punching Swedish striker Markus Rosenberg
in the stomach.
The match was subsequently abandoned, and on 8 June 2007, UEFA
held a hearing, awarding Sweden the match 3–0 and banning Poulsen for three competitive matches, and giving other punishments relating to Denmark international matches. The decision was appealed by the Danish Football Association
and reduced on 5 July 2007. A CHF
100,000 (€66,000) fine was lowered to CHF 50,000; also, Denmark's two subsequent matches needed to be played at least 140 kilometres (87 mi) from Copenhagen.
The match was the first ever UEFA qualifying fixture between Sweden and Denmark, and the first time a UEFA
championship qualifier was abandoned due to spectator interference.
game, but Denmark bounced back and made the score 3–3 going into the final stages.
In the 89th minute, Denmark's Christian Poulsen and Sweden's Markus Rosenberg engaged in a tussle in the Danish penalty area; Rosenberg struck Poulsen, who in turn punched Rosenberg in the stomach.
shortly after this. The officials - Fandel, assistant referees and the fourth official - walked off the field, and Danish Football Association
spokesman Lars Berendt within minutes announced Sweden was awarded a 3–0 victory.
The attacker was identified as a 29-year-old Dane named Ronni Nörvig in German media living and working in Gothenburg
, Sweden, publication of his name in Denmark was censored, due to a Danish court order. Prior to that, his full name and residential status was published in online edition of the Danish tabloid B.T.
, which, among other newspapers, ran an unprecedented petition asking the public for assistance to identify him. The Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet
has identified him by the initial "R", while other news media decided not to publish his name citing "the serious threat" against him.
The result was not confirmed until an investigation by UEFA's disciplinary committee was carried out. The hearing took place on 8 June 2007 to officially confirm whether the match should be forfeited 3-0 to Sweden. The Danish Football Association
(DBU) suspended ticket sales for its next two European qualifiers at Parken Stadium pending UEFA's decision. It had already sold 18,200 tickets for the 12 September match against Liechtenstein
, but said it would reimburse fans if UEFA changed the venue.
On 8 June 2007 the hearing was held, awarding Sweden the match 3–0, fining Denmark CHF 100,000 (€66,000), plus the punishment that Denmark should play their next four home qualification matches (effectively the rest of the competition) at least 250 kilometres (155.3 mi) away from Copenhagen, with the next match against Liechtenstein behind closed doors. Poulsen was banned for three competitive matches.
The president of the Swedish Football Association
, Lars-Åke Lagrell
expressed his satisfaction with the ruling calling it "a clear decision", adding that "there were no alternatives". The Danish FA immediately announced its intention to appeal. Jim Stjerne Hansen, secretary general of the DBU, said he was "shocked by the scope of the rulings", and that "It seems that they didn't look at the geography when they made their decision. Denmark is a small country."
Two of the three members of UEFA's disciplinary committee gave press
interviews following the decision. Joël Wollf, General Secretary of the Luxembourg Football Federation
and committee member, said:
Rainer Koch, German
member of UEFA's disciplinary committee:
The distance between Aalborg
and Copenhagen is 224 kilometres (139.2 mi), thus it was not a viable option at the time. Aalborg Stadium does not feature a race track.
However, the initial 0–3-ruling of the result was upheld.
, criticized the behaviour of both Christian Poulsen and the fan who attacked the referee: "It was terrible and a very embarrassing behavior on the Danish side."
Flemming Steen Munch gave the following comment:
Copenhagen police chief superintendent
Per Larsen later said that all comments of possible charges were premature. "Football is a contact sport, so the starting point is that the sport's own courts should handle this," Larsen told Danish news agency Ritzau. Munch noted that it was "unusual" for violence on the field or hockey rink to be tried in a court of law. See violence in ice hockey
for some exceptions.
The Danish Justice Minister
, Lene Espersen
, called for an involuntary national team-hiatus to be given to Christian Poulsen.
was included in UEFA's list of 4-star stadiums in 1993, making it eligible for hosting UEFA Cup
finals.
After the fan attack, the level of security at the stadium was questioned, and considered further by the UEFA disciplinary committee. An editorial in the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten
criticized the safety arrangements at Parken, saying it could have serious consequences for Denmark, but praised referee Fandel's decision to abandon the match.
The Danish Football Association
first decided to sue the man for the commercial damage should Danish disqualification be confirmed.
Parken Sport & Entertainment
first announced it decision to sue the man for DKK
7,000,000 (€940,000) for loss of ticket sales, and the Danish FA will sue the 29-year-old for DKK 1,900,000 (€255,000). That decision was later reverted on the advice of counsel. However, following the outcome of the criminal trial against the culprit, both Parken and Danish FA did go through with a law suit against him with those amounts.
Ultimately, only the FA sued for just over DKK 1.6 million (€215,000). The verdict was given on November 18, 2009, in favour of the FA, but only gave them DKK 900,000 (€120,000), because of the inadequate security at Parken. The FA said it was "very satisfied" with the verdict, while it reportedly "shocked" the perpetrator.
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
occurred at the Euro 2008 qualifying
2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
This page describes the qualifying procedure for the UEFA Euro 2008.- Seedings :Qualification coefficients were used to rank the teams according to their results in both UEFA Euro 2004 and FIFA World Cup 2006 qualifying stages. Only the group matches, and not any additional playoffs, counted...
match between the national football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
teams of Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
and Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, at the Parken Stadium
Parken Stadium
Parken Stadium is a football stadium in the Indre Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark, built from 1990–1992. It currently has a capacity of 38,065 for football games, and is the home ground of F.C. Københaven and the Danish national football team...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
on 2 June 2007. A Danish supporter ran onto the pitch and attacked referee Herbert Fandel
Herbert Fandel
Herbert Fandel is a former German football referee who was in charge of the 2007 UEFA Champions League final. Fandel refereed the UEFA Cup final in 2006 between the English side Middlesbrough and the Spanish side Sevilla. He also refereed the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup on home soil in Germany...
, after the referee had awarded Sweden a penalty in the 89th minute of the match and sent off Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen
Christian Poulsen
Christian Bjørnshøj Poulsen is a Danish footballer who plays for Evian in Ligue 1. He has played for a number of European clubs, winning the Danish Superliga championship with F.C...
for punching Swedish striker Markus Rosenberg
Markus Rosenberg
Nils Markus Rosenberg , born 27 September 1982 in Malmö) is a Swedish footballer currently playing for German side Werder Bremen. As of 11 February 2009, Rosenberg, who is nicknamed "Sillen" , has played 30 games and scored six times for the Swedish national team.-Early career:Rosenberg started his...
in the stomach.
The match was subsequently abandoned, and on 8 June 2007, UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
held a hearing, awarding Sweden the match 3–0 and banning Poulsen for three competitive matches, and giving other punishments relating to Denmark international matches. The decision was appealed by the Danish Football Association
Danish Football Association
The Danish Football Association is the governing body of football in Denmark. It is the organization of the Danish football clubs and runs the professional Danish football leagues and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in the city of Brøndby and is a founding member of both FIFA...
and reduced on 5 July 2007. A CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
100,000 (€66,000) fine was lowered to CHF 50,000; also, Denmark's two subsequent matches needed to be played at least 140 kilometres (87 mi) from Copenhagen.
The match was the first ever UEFA qualifying fixture between Sweden and Denmark, and the first time a UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
championship qualifier was abandoned due to spectator interference.
Match
Sweden led 3–0 after 26 minutes of the Group F2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Group F
-Standings:Key:*Teams highlighted in green qualified for the finalsNotes on the qualified teams:*Spain secured qualification to the tournament proper on 17 November 2007 following a 3–0 win against Sweden, becoming the tenth team in the whole of the qualification stage to do so*Sweden secured...
game, but Denmark bounced back and made the score 3–3 going into the final stages.
Poulsen-Rosenberg incident
Fan attack
Seconds later, a Danish fan rushed onto the field and attacked the referee, grabbed his neck, but was intercepted by the Danish defender Michael GravgaardMichael Gravgaard
Michael Julius Gravgaard is a Danish former football player, who effectively ended his playing career at FC Nantes in May 2010. Despite the fact of having a contract with FC Nantes until July 2011, his club was not interested to honour the contract, and opted instead in May 2010, to try and file...
shortly after this. The officials - Fandel, assistant referees and the fourth official - walked off the field, and Danish Football Association
Danish Football Association
The Danish Football Association is the governing body of football in Denmark. It is the organization of the Danish football clubs and runs the professional Danish football leagues and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in the city of Brøndby and is a founding member of both FIFA...
spokesman Lars Berendt within minutes announced Sweden was awarded a 3–0 victory.
Perpetrator
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden, publication of his name in Denmark was censored, due to a Danish court order. Prior to that, his full name and residential status was published in online edition of the Danish tabloid B.T.
B.T. (tabloid)
B.T. is a Danish tabloid newspaper which offers general news about various subjects such as sports, politics and current affairs.A large, red neon sign displays the B.T. logo at the square Trianglen in Østerbro, a part of Copenhagen....
, which, among other newspapers, ran an unprecedented petition asking the public for assistance to identify him. The Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet
Ekstra Bladet
Ekstra Bladet is a Danish tabloid newspaper focusing on sensationalist stories. It gets a share of its income from sex ads. Since 1979 it has always had a partly or completely naked woman on page nine which is referred to as Side 9 Pigen , a Danish equivalent of the English Page Three girl...
has identified him by the initial "R", while other news media decided not to publish his name citing "the serious threat" against him.
UEFA action against Danish FA
Danish Football Association
The Danish Football Association is the governing body of football in Denmark. It is the organization of the Danish football clubs and runs the professional Danish football leagues and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in the city of Brøndby and is a founding member of both FIFA...
(DBU) suspended ticket sales for its next two European qualifiers at Parken Stadium pending UEFA's decision. It had already sold 18,200 tickets for the 12 September match against Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein national football team
The Liechtenstein national football team is the national football team of Liechtenstein and is controlled by the Liechtenstein Football Association. The organisation is known as the Liechtensteiner Fussballverband in German. The team's first match was an unofficial match against Malta in Seoul, a...
, but said it would reimburse fans if UEFA changed the venue.
On 8 June 2007 the hearing was held, awarding Sweden the match 3–0, fining Denmark CHF 100,000 (€66,000), plus the punishment that Denmark should play their next four home qualification matches (effectively the rest of the competition) at least 250 kilometres (155.3 mi) away from Copenhagen, with the next match against Liechtenstein behind closed doors. Poulsen was banned for three competitive matches.
The president of the Swedish Football Association
Swedish Football Association
The Swedish Football Association is the governing body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues — Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women — and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in Solna and is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA...
, Lars-Åke Lagrell
Lars-Åke Lagrell
Lars-Åke Lagrell is a Swedish sports personality who is the President of the Swedish Football Association since 1991. In 2002 Prime Minister of Sweden Göran Persson appointed him Governor of Kronoberg County...
expressed his satisfaction with the ruling calling it "a clear decision", adding that "there were no alternatives". The Danish FA immediately announced its intention to appeal. Jim Stjerne Hansen, secretary general of the DBU, said he was "shocked by the scope of the rulings", and that "It seems that they didn't look at the geography when they made their decision. Denmark is a small country."
Two of the three members of UEFA's disciplinary committee gave press
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
interviews following the decision. Joël Wollf, General Secretary of the Luxembourg Football Federation
Luxembourg Football Federation
The Luxembourg Football Federation is the governing body of football in Luxembourg. It organises the Luxembourg Football League and the Luxembourg national football team. It is based in Mondercange, to the south of Luxembourg City.-List of presidents:...
and committee member, said:
"The 250 kilometres were just to make sure that they would play away from Copenhagen. [...] My opinion is that it should be made possible for these matches to be played in Denmark. I have not seen the ruling in writing, so I don't know what it says."
Rainer Koch, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
member of UEFA's disciplinary committee:
"Denmark can just play in AalborgAalborg StadionEnergi Nord Arena is a football stadium located in the Aalborg Stadion stadium complex. It is the home ground of AaB. It has a capacity of 13,797 of which 8,997 is seated...
. They have a race trackRace trackA race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
(sicSicSic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
) up there, don't they? [...] Well I don't know the distances in DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. This will be a matter of a discussion."
The distance between Aalborg
Aalborg
-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
and Copenhagen is 224 kilometres (139.2 mi), thus it was not a viable option at the time. Aalborg Stadium does not feature a race track.
Final UEFA ruling
On 5 July 2007 UEFA eased the decision:- Denmark only have to play two matches away from Copenhagen, reduced from four
- The closed-doors ban for the Liechtenstein match was lifted
- The radius from Copenhagen was only 140 km, as opposed to 250 km
- The fine was halved from CHF 100,000 to CHF 50,000.
However, the initial 0–3-ruling of the result was upheld.
To the match in general
Frederik, Crown Prince of DenmarkFrederik, Crown Prince of Denmark
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, is the heir apparent to the throne of Denmark. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, the Prince Consort.-Name and christening:...
, criticized the behaviour of both Christian Poulsen and the fan who attacked the referee: "It was terrible and a very embarrassing behavior on the Danish side."
To Christian Poulsen's behaviour
Copenhagen police spokesperson chief inspectorChief inspector
Chief inspector is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police .-Australia:...
Flemming Steen Munch gave the following comment:
"It is about time to set an example ... It has almost become acceptable to be violent on the pitch, but violence should not be accepted on the pitch or in society. The TV images clearly show how the Swede is punched in the stomach. My immediate opinion is that according to the penal codeDanish penalty lawThe Danish Penal Code also known as The Danish Criminal Code is the codification of the central legal text and makes up the foundation of criminal law in Denmark.-History:The Penal Code is law number 126 of April 15, 1930 with later amendments...
the act will lead to a 30 day imprisonment".
Copenhagen police chief superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
Per Larsen later said that all comments of possible charges were premature. "Football is a contact sport, so the starting point is that the sport's own courts should handle this," Larsen told Danish news agency Ritzau. Munch noted that it was "unusual" for violence on the field or hockey rink to be tried in a court of law. See violence in ice hockey
Violence in ice hockey
Violence has been a part of ice hockey since at least the early 1900s. According to the book Hockey: A People's History, in 1904 alone, four players were killed during hockey games from the frequent brawls and violent stickwork....
for some exceptions.
The Danish Justice Minister
Justice Minister of Denmark
The Danish Minister for Justice is the head of the Ministry of Justice and a cabinet member.Under the current government, the post is held by Morten Bødskov.As the head of the department, the minister is responsible for:* The General judicial system including...
, Lene Espersen
Lene Espersen
Lene Espersen is a Danish politician and member of parliament who has been Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs since 23 February 2010 and was leader of the Conservative People's Party and Deputy Prime Minister from 9 September 2008 to 13 January 2011...
, called for an involuntary national team-hiatus to be given to Christian Poulsen.
To security at the Parken Stadium
The Parken StadiumParken Stadium
Parken Stadium is a football stadium in the Indre Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark, built from 1990–1992. It currently has a capacity of 38,065 for football games, and is the home ground of F.C. Københaven and the Danish national football team...
was included in UEFA's list of 4-star stadiums in 1993, making it eligible for hosting UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
finals.
After the fan attack, the level of security at the stadium was questioned, and considered further by the UEFA disciplinary committee. An editorial in the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten
Jyllands-Posten
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten , commonly shortened to Jyllands-Posten or JP, is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper. It is based in Viby, a suburb of Århus, and with a weekday circulation of approximately 120,000 copies, it is among the largest-selling newspaper in Denmark...
criticized the safety arrangements at Parken, saying it could have serious consequences for Denmark, but praised referee Fandel's decision to abandon the match.
To the perpetrator
The attacker stated in court that he was intoxicated by the consumption of alcohol, to a degree that he could not recall attacking the referee. The criminal court dealt out a suspended sentence of 30 days in prison. The prosecution appealed to the High Court of Eastern Denmark, which changed the sentence to 20 days, which had to be served.The Danish Football Association
Danish Football Association
The Danish Football Association is the governing body of football in Denmark. It is the organization of the Danish football clubs and runs the professional Danish football leagues and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in the city of Brøndby and is a founding member of both FIFA...
first decided to sue the man for the commercial damage should Danish disqualification be confirmed.
Parken Sport & Entertainment
Parken Sport & Entertainment
Parken Sport & Entertainment A/S is a Danish company listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. PS&E is a leading arranger of sport and entertainment events in Denmark and the Øresunds region. The group's primary activities are football club F.C...
first announced it decision to sue the man for DKK
Danish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...
7,000,000 (€940,000) for loss of ticket sales, and the Danish FA will sue the 29-year-old for DKK 1,900,000 (€255,000). That decision was later reverted on the advice of counsel. However, following the outcome of the criminal trial against the culprit, both Parken and Danish FA did go through with a law suit against him with those amounts.
Ultimately, only the FA sued for just over DKK 1.6 million (€215,000). The verdict was given on November 18, 2009, in favour of the FA, but only gave them DKK 900,000 (€120,000), because of the inadequate security at Parken. The FA said it was "very satisfied" with the verdict, while it reportedly "shocked" the perpetrator.
Match details (before abandoning)
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See also
- UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group F
- Denmark and Sweden football rivalryDenmark and Sweden football rivalryThe Denmark–Sweden football rivalry is a highly competitive sports rivalry that exists between the national football teams of Denmark and Sweden...
- RoliganRoliganThe Roligan movement are Danish football fans, who are well-mannered, yet cheerful, during the match and before and after. This behavior is the opposite of that exhibited by hooligans. The term roligan is a pun based on the word rolig which means "calm" in Danish.The movement was founded during the...