Police Operations at High-Risk Football Matches in Thuringia Cost 1.3 Million Euros

Securing high-risk football matches in Thuringia comes with a significant price tag, with police operations for seven such games last year estimated to have cost 1.3 million euros. The Landespolizeidirektion reported that 2,395 police officers were deployed to ensure security during these events, which often involve rival fan groups.

A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry confirmed the cost figures. High-risk matches typically include those involving football clubs from Erfurt and Jena. The upcoming Thuringia derby between FC Carl-Zeiss Jena and FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt, scheduled for this Sunday at the Ad-hoc-Arena Jena, is also classified as a high-risk event.

According to the Interior Ministry, the number of high-risk matches decreased in 2025, with only seven games designated as such compared to ten in the previous year. This reduction led to an estimated cost saving of around 200,000 euros. For the Thuringia derby held in Erfurt at the end of March 2026, the Thuringian police had projected personnel and material costs of approximately 480,000 euros. Notably, over 100 police officers from Bavaria provided support for that operation, incurring additional accommodation costs of about 14,000 euros.

While the Federal Constitutional Court has, in principle, allowed for cost-sharing by clubs for such security measures since early 2025, the Thuringian state government currently has no plans to charge regional league clubs. Instead, the government stated its focus remains on prevention and fostering close cooperation among clubs, police, and security authorities.