History

The risks associated with European football matches are extensive, ongoing and well documented. Millions of football supporters traverse Europe annually in connection with hundreds of football matches with an international dimension. Public order related incidents occur in over half of these matches which can and does pose significant safety and security risks to millions of European citizens who attend matches or reside in the cities and towns hosting football events.

It was the degree of risk, highlighted by serious incidents of football violence and disorder during the 1998 World Cup in France and the 2000 European Championships in Belgium, which prompted Interior Ministry and policing football specialists in Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and the UK to establish the European Think Tank in 2000.

The aim was to develop a mechanism for enabling experts from MS and beyond to develop European wide measures for preventing and tackling football-related violence and disorder, notably in respect of:

• Coordinating and overseeing the development of a European network of police National Football Information Points (NFIPs) - then an informal (embryonic) network established in 1989 following serious disorder during the 1988 European Championships in (the then) West Germany;
• Developing European-wide initiatives aimed at enhancing European police co-operation and preventing and tackling football-related safety and security risks; and,
• Preparing proposals for the EU to introduce measures on specialist police co-operation and related measures designed by expert policing football practitioners for their counterparts in MS and beyond.

Participation in the TT expanded apace, in tandem with the development of the NFIP network to the current position whereby NFIPs are in place in 38 European States, including every MS.

This expansion is of the utmost importance given that the dynamic of football related criminality and associated European police co-operation is a highly specialist area which is quite distinct from other thematic areas associated with policing European-wide criminality

Members

Executive

info@nfip-network.org

David Bohannan
President

Along with representatives from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, David Bohannan was a co-founder of the European Group of Football Safety and Security Experts (otherwise known as the "Think Tank") and the Group's independent Chair since 2004. Initially established in 2000, the remit of the group was and remains to bring together policing football and governmental experts from across Europe in order to: i) identify and assess established and emerging risks in connection with international football events; ii) develop possible solutions capable of being customised to meet national circumstances and imperatives, iii) harmonise European guidance and recommended good practices; and iv) determine the best means for pursuing work streams and promulgating established good practices.

Between 1999 and 2011, David was Head of the UK Home Office unit responsible for developing and overseeing delivery of a comprehensive football disorder strategy based on an in-depth analysis of the football disorder dynamic, recognition of the need for a sophisticated government-led multi-agency approach, and tough but proportionate football exclusion measures designed to deter violence and disorder in connection with football events (at home and abroad), prevent repeat offending, and encourage rehabilitation.

On behalf of UK Government, David was also responsible for coordinating the UK's multi-agency preparations for participation in a series of European Championships and World Cups, heading the UK delegation to the Council of Europe Standing Committee on the Convention of Spectator Violence (2000 to 2010), and leading for the Home Office on a series of civil and other emergencies.

Adrian Dinca
Chair

Adrian began his law enforcement career in 2002 and he holds an experience of more than 17 years as international police cooperation officer and later on as deputy head of the National Football Information Point of Romania.

He was involved in the work of the European Group of Policing Football and NFIP Experts (Think Tank) – NFIP network for more than 10 years, in 2015 being elected as vice-chair of this body and as of November 2021 as Chair. In this function, he is responsible for the strategic management of the European NFIP network and contributed to the development of the current European legal framework in this field, analysis instruments for police data, monitoring and technical assistance activities, NFIP website and various training programs.

Mr.Dinca also held the position of Vice-chair of the Council of Europe Convention on Spectator Violence (T-RV) Standing Committee from 2016 to 2018 and Chair from 2018 to 2020, being elected for these positions by delegates from the Member States parties to this international Treaty.

From April 2021, Adrian has been elected as the first Chair of the new established Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events for the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events (T-S4) for a mandate of 2 years.

Adrian has been a part of the operational support teams deployed for several major sport events (notably EURO 2008, Europa League final 2012 and EURO 2016) and he was a member of the management structure of the International Police Cooperation Centre (IPCC) for the EURO 2020, which was hosted at Europol headquarters in Hague.
He is involved as expert in various international training sessions related to safety and security at sport events, organized by UEFA, European Think Tank, Council of Europe and CEPOL.

Adrian holds a Bachelors’ Degree in law, Master’s degree in international police cooperation and he is currently involved in research for his PhD in homeland security and policing sport events.

Management Board

In addition to the Chair and Vice-Chair, the experts group also appoints a board comprising of four core members to act on behalf of the main Group. Collectively they act as the European NFIP Network Oversight and Coordination Executive. All members of the executive are elected on the basis of a majority vote by the core membership of the Experts Group for a period of 4 years.

Adrian Roberts
Vice-Chair

- Deputy Director UK Football Policing Unit
- Joint led IPCC management for UEFA ‘Euros’ 2020
- Former Police ‘Gold’ & ‘Silver’ Commander
- Extensive experience of commanding high profile sporting events, football, royal ceremonies & protest
- Tactical Commander (Silver) for London Riots 2011
- Central London Commander Olympic Games London 2012
- Former ‘Head of Safety & Security’ and ‘Safety Officer’ at Crystal Palace Football Club

Martin Schlosser

- 1995-2001 Silver Commander with the Vienna Police
- Former Head of the Admissions Department for Police Officers in Vienna
- Former Head of Training and Further Trainings of the Vienna Police Force
- Former police operations commander for sporting events
- Since 2005 Trainer and expert for leadership and team management
- Since 2013 Head of NFIP Austria
- Since 2013 Austrian representative at MSE LEWP meetings
- Since 2013 Austrian representative at UEFA conferences
- Since 2013 Member of numerous expert groups on combating hooliganism
- 2014 Liaison Officer at the Winter Olympic Games in Sotchi
- Since 2015 Member of the Management Board of the European Think Tank
- 2016 Liaison Officer at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro
- 2018 Representative of the Austrian EU Presidency at the MSE LEWP Meeting
- Multiple member of the crisis support team of the Austrian Ministry of Interior in connection with Olympic Games.
- Multiple Head of Delegation of Austria at international sporting events
- Multiple activity in monitoring visits to international sporting events
- Member of the IPCC Management Board
- Former multiple Member of the Bureau of the Standing Committee
- Member of the T-S4 Expert Group
- State-certified sports teacher

Maciej Orysiak

- Expert Polish National Football Information Point (NFIP)
- Joint led security Staff for FIBA EuroBasket 2009 in Poland

- Joint led IPCC staff for UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland,
- UEFA EURO 2016 in France and UEFA EURO 2020
- Police Spotters and TSLO coordinator for FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup 2022 in Poland
- Polish Police Spotters coordinator since 2013
- Police Officer of Command and Crisis Management Bureau of National Police HQ
- Former member of the Safety Council for Sports Events of Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs

Volkan Sazak

- Deputy Head of Department of State Security Department of Turkish Police/
Responsible for Sport Security Division in Turkish Police

- Head of NFIP TÜRKİYE
- Deputy Head of Turkish Police Force in Qatar for World Cup 2022/
Responsible for security measures of all 64 matches.
- Former Police 'Gold' & 'Silver' Commander
- Responsible for commanding high profile sporting events, high risk
football, and protests

- Former elected member of management board of CoE Committe on Sport

Oliver Strudthoff

Police Senior Chief Superintendent
Head of NFIP Germany
Police officer for 25 years with a bachelor's and master's degree in public administration – police management.
Various functions within the German police and abroad (e.g. two years as a police advisor in Afghanistan).
Former match commander
Head of management of information for all sports matters within Germany
Advising Expert for the Ministry of the federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany in Sports relations .
Responsible for the international preparation and arrangements for the UEFA EURO2024
Development and management of the International Police Cooperation Center 2024 (IPCC 2024) to the UEFA EURO 2024 .