Investigations after Poldi game: Cologne chaos remains unsolved!

Investigations after Poldi game: Cologne chaos remains unsolved!

Six months after the violent riots at Cologne Cathedral in connection with Lukas Podolski's farewell game, the public prosecutor's investigation is still far from being concluded. On October 10, 2024, around 150 football chaotics gathered at the station forecourt and at the cathedral and attacked passers-by. The events resulted in 14 police officers being injured, and the public prosecutor's office has now investigated at least eight Polish citizens for serious breach of the peace and grievous bodily harm, as rundschau-online.de reports.

So far, only two suspected attackers have been identified, while the identities of six other suspects are still unclear. Despite extensive video footage available to the police, the investigation remains difficult because many of the attackers are masked and uncooperative. If the suspects are not brought to justice soon, the process could drag on considerably.

Arrests and wounded

After the game, eight Polish football supporters, aged between 24 and 44, were temporarily arrested. Another incident that happened on the same day on Schildergasse involved a 32-year-old Polish fan who was stabbed by a 17-year-old and was critically injured. After two days of trial, the 18-year-old perpetrator in charge received two years in prison for grievous bodily harm. This man also traveled to Cologne for the farewell game. Such incidents cast a dark light on the football environment and the propensity for violence among some fans.

Hooliganism is not a new phenomenon, but has a long history in Europe. In Poland, for example, the hooligan scene emerged in the 1970s and is now larger than in many other countries, even Britain. The development was initially accompanied by sporadic incidents until the scene began to flourish in the 1980s. In recent decades there have been repeated violent clashes that have caused an international stir, as can be read in the analysis by wikipedia.org.

A look at the past

Historically, riots between football fans have deep roots. The first reports of fan conflicts date back to the 1930s. Incidents particularly increased in the 1990s, when many hooligan groups gained influence and organized fights outside stadiums. This development led to a consistent problem that still exists today, despite certain progress in violence prevention, as discussed in the interdisciplinary analysis by boeckler.de.

Intensive discussion of the issue of hooliganism is essential to improve safety in football. Associations, municipalities, clubs and fan organizations are called upon to develop strategies together to sustainably combat violence in football. The current events surrounding Lukas Podolski's farewell game are just the latest chapter in a problematic story that has been going on for decades.