Column | The Oktoberfest as therapy

Do I have everything I need for the trip? This is a question that you always ask yourself when a long trip is planned. In most cases, this involves important everyday items. Toothbrush, fresh underwear, hair gel. ID, of course. You have to pack carefully because the most important items are still missing. Knife, meat tenderizer, a leg, wooden slats, a skewer and, just in case, because you never know, you still need room for a pipe wrench. That's about it. Ready to travel for a football game abroad.

In Hamburg, 60 violent Lazio Rome fans who wanted to watch the Europa League match against Kiev in the Hanseatic city had the same items taken away. They didn't come to watch football. They wanted to riot. As a result, they didn't see anything of the game because the police saw through their intentions and searched their backpacks. They were arrested and only found out about their team's victory in the morning. Will their club now react?

Before the match against Dynamo Kiev: The Lazio players hold a Ukraine flag. © APA/afp / AXEL HEIMKEN

If common sense were to prevail, everyone arrested in Hamburg would now be banned from the stadium in Rome for the rest of their lives. But the club's management has remained silent so far. It appears that they have long since become involved with the Lazio fans, who are also politically right-wing radicals. Unfortunately, this is still not an isolated case and is not a specific Italian phenomenon.

In every league there are "ultras", as the collective term for them is. Fans who are not interested in their club's game, but are just looking to stage orgies of violence at the weekend or whenever games are played. The clubs usually look on and shift the responsibility to the police. They are supposed to make sure that everything goes smoothly and in an orderly manner before and after the game. An increased contingent of law enforcement officers is demanded and apparently still provided as a matter of course.

Lazio has a passionate fan culture. © APA/afp / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

Requests for the clubs to contribute financially to the costs are regularly rejected by the clubs, who repeatedly point out that in this case it is a matter of public order. And the state is responsible for ensuring this. The clubs defend their budgets. They would rather spend more money on new players than invest in a peaceful atmosphere. And politicians lack the backbone to take consistent action against the people's favorite sport and its representatives and to demand the money for the immense expenditure.

The polluter pays principle But there is another way to minimize the costs of increased police deployments: by asking those directly affected to pay. All 60 Lazio fans, for example, should also feel the financial impact if they pack a pipe wrench as well as their toothbrush. The polluter pays principle. It's simple. The Swiss mountain rescue service, for example, recently rescued two Vietnamese from the Matterhorn under dramatic conditions. Both were wearing sneakers and light tracksuit bottoms. Without the very dangerous operation, which was also very dangerous for the rescuers, they would have frozen to death.

Lazio games are a tough affair. © ANSA / FABIO FRUSTACI

Polluter pays principle. You have to pay for the operation. The helicopter and all other costs incurred. Whether it is stupidity or intent: in both cases, public institutions must intervene to prevent worse things from happening. It cannot and should not be the case that these operations are always burdened by the taxpayer. In the case of mountain rescue, this must of course be viewed in a differentiated manner, because there can also be operations that can be described as accidents.

The Oktoberfest as therapy Lazio fans could be advised to put on some lederhosen and go to Munich for the Oktoberfest instead of Hamburg. There - and this is one of the greatest achievements of the largest folk festival in the world - there is an unbelievably tinglingly pleasant atmosphere. Hardly any festival, especially not one of this size, is as integrative as the Wiesn: across genders, generations and nations.

It would be educational and, in addition to a potentially serious hangover, it would also give them the realization that life has another side besides pipe wrenches and jackknives. Giant pretzels, brass music, juicy chicken, grilled fish and a cheap, fresh pint of beer brought by friendly waiters are miracle weapons. At the Oktoberfest, diversity and inclusion are almost a piece of cake. And another tip for Lazio fans. There is the so-called "Italian weekend" at the Wiesn. Even the traffic reports on the radio are announced in Italian. Understandable for all Lazio fans. Benvenuti e saluti.

About the author: Sigi Heinrich The award-winning sports journalist (including winner of the German Television Prize, the Bavarian Sports Prize and nominated for the prestigious Grimme Prize), author, long-time sports editor of the Süddeutsche Zeitung and commentator at Eurosport since the founding of the pan-European TV station (1989), devotes his column "Sigi's Tips" to the entire diversity of sport and also likes to look over the fence, sometimes with a smile, sometimes thoughtfully or deliberately provocatively. There should be something for everyone.

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Column | The Oktoberfest as therapy

In Hamburg, 60 Lazio fans were detained by the police before attending the match against Kiev after they had been confiscated from them weapons-like objects. Our columnist Sigi Heinrich argues that they should be sent to the Oktoberfest in Munich as therapy and punishment.

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