The German Football League (DFL) and clubs from the top-two tiers on Wednesday "agreed on a tighter set of security measures after a sharp rise in violence and pressure from politicians to act," according to Karolos Grohmann of REUTERS. The DFL and the 36 clubs from the top-two leagues "voted in favour of tougher stadium checks, increased crackdown on flares and smoke bombs and tougher sanctions, video monitoring, and better-trained security staff." DFL President Reinhard Rauball said, "Professional football is coming out as a winner today. All 16 points were accepted with a wide majority. Germany's football culture is not threatened by this." Many fans, some 500 of whom had peacefully demonstrated outside the Frankfurt hotel where the meeting took place, "have accused the DFL of spoiling their football experience and having had little input in drafting the concept." German football "is struggling to contain growing violence with '11-12 season figures released last month hitting a 12-year high despite a financial boom and the world's highest average match attendance" (REUTERS, 12/12). FC Bayern Munich Exec Board Chair Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said, "It was a good meeting with the DFL. The result is what I expected. The Bundesliga has opposed violence, racism and pyrotechnics -- and that is good" (BILD, 12/12).
