Crowd trouble at the Veikkausliiga football league game between HJK and HIFK on Monday evening made headlines and sparked widespread debate on social media.
During the first half of the Stadin Derby — or Helsinki Derby — individuals in the HIFK end of the ground set fire to a HJK banner, leading to some in the HJK end breaking advertising hoardings and attempting to storm onto the pitch.
The disturbance led to the game being delayed for about seven minutes, as police officers in riot gear and several police dogs lined up along the halfway line in an effort to restore order.
Speaking to Yle, Veikkausliiga CEO Timo Marjamaa condemned the behaviour of the individuals involved.
"They don't understand that football is a communal sport and belongs to everyone. You cannot take it hostage and do what you like. It is very unfortunate that a certain group wants to do these things without any regard for others," Marjamaa said.
Police arrested 11 people during the match and a further 24 afterwards. They also confiscated around 100 pyrotechnic items.
"There have been many attempts to block and prevent it [the disruptive behaviour]. It is really frustrating that certain individuals are still able to run their own show," Marjamaa said.
He added that the challenge facing football authorities in Finland is that — unlike in other countries — there is no provision in Finnish law that would allow clubs or the ruling body to permanently ban individuals from entering stadiums.
The Finnish Center for Integrity in Sports (FINCIS) published a report on Monday which stated that current Finnish legislation does not recognise the concept of a ban.
The author of the report Janne Ripat noted that a system of banning troublemakers cannot be introduced in Finland because of existing legislation on the freedom of movement, as per the terms of the Assembly Act and the Private Security Services Act.
Furthermore, Marjamaa pointed out that such bans would not necessarily solve the problem, even if they were to be introduced.
"In any case, you can buy tickets and enter the game through the gate sales. This presents its own challenges, how to get these wildcards out of there," he said.
The Finnish Football Association's Disciplinary Committee has often fined clubs for disorderly conduct by supporters, with Marjamaa estimating that the two clubs — HJK and HIFK — could face fines of thousands of euros following Monday's scenes.
He further added that it is up to the police to decide whether a club should be forced to play in front of an empty stadium, not the Veikkausliiga or the FA.
Helsinki police chief Jarmo Heinonen told Yle that the options available to the police to deal with these matters are limited, as the default for public events is that the organiser is responsible for ensuring that things run safely and smoothly.
"In such cases, various national solutions have been sought, so that if the spectators cannot be kept in check, the game is played in front of empty stands, for example. But I think everyone would like to see major sporting events like these enjoyed by all," Heinonen said.
He also noted that the police always hold discussions with organisers before matches to discuss how to best prepare for known threats. This will also be the case for Thursday's Europa League match between HJK and Real Betis.
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