The European Championship held this summer in Germany has been a success, not only because of the spectacle that the 24 teams have offered on the pitch, but also because of a perfect organization that has been culminated with a final in the imposing Olympic Stadium in Berlin without incidents and that shone with the standards that UEFA requires to organize an event of this caliber. The Spain–England preview was the opposite of the Colombia–Argentina CONMEBOL Copa America final, which had to start late due to fan incidents in the run-up to the clash.

The stringent security measures and protocols that UEFA requires of the organizers of its competitions minimize the chances of incidents or disturbances in the vicinity of the stadium before, during and after a match. For UEFA to grant a final of a competition such as the Euro, the stadium must be category 4 (UEFA divides European stadiums into four categories) and these facilities must not only meet important security requirements, but must also offer the greatest possible comfort to fans, the media and the protagonists – the players and teams.

Without going any further, stadiums such as the Olympiastadion in Berlin for this occasion -or La Cartuja in Seville for the last edition of the Euro-, have had to make important modifications to their infrastructure in order to prepare them for this type of event: from modernizing the access controls (turnstiles), to comply with strict lighting regulations, to offering spacious dressing rooms, a minimum of space for press and television, access and amenities for fans (such as bars) and certain characteristics of the pitch. Everything must meet minimum standards that favor both spectacle and comfort as well as safety.

German police (Kieran McManus/Shutterstock)

30% OF TICKETS WERE COUNTERFEIT

In Miami, USA, the Hard Rock Stadium is a venue that opened in 1987 and has been renovated over time, however, something went wrong this Sunday during the final of the Copa America when thousands of fans of Colombia and Argentina tried to sneak in without tickets, causing injuries and fainting in fans of both teams. It is estimated that around 30% of the tickets were fake and their holders presented themselves at the turnstiles of the stadium, forcing the organizers to close the turnstiles temporarily.

This surely would not have happened with a UEFA protocol in which security rings are established around the stadium, which are already accessible with the proper ticket. The collapse would have been avoided with a more staggered arrival of fans and well before the start of the match, so it surely could have avoided a delay that leaves both CONMEBOL and those in charge of security for the US Copa America in a bad light.

Collapse in the Hard Rock Stadium. (Deccio Serrano/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)

YEARS OF PREPARATION BY GERMANY

Germany and its law enforcement officers had been preparing for the event for years and 580 foreign police officers were deployed during the tournament, as well as rescue and emergency services, which were prepared for everything from heat waves to torrential rains to major emergencies.

All this contrasts with the image of Argentine and Colombian fans climbing over fences and reaching the inside of the stadium to ‘settle’ in the access corridors seeing that all the seats were already occupied. Letting in those extra people caused some ‘order’ and the Florida police to handle the situation again.

WORLD CUP IN AMERICA

This is just the beginning of what lies ahead for the USA, Mexico and Canada, charged with hosting the next World Cup in 2026. A rehearsal has been this Copa America and both in the final and in one of the semifinals (altercations in the stands) the security protocols have not worked well. They have two years ahead of them to continue drawing up security plans and to anticipate as much as possible some of the scenarios that could be encountered during the 2026 World Cup. FIFA will be in charge at that time and its protocols and requirements, the same as those of UEFA, will also be an important learning experience for CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and all soccer in the Americas (including the smallest detail in the infrastructure of their stadiums).