MaximsNewsNetwork: 24 October 2009 - UNTV - Security chiefs are working on developing best practices for major event security in Europe by using new technologies like electronic monitoring in crowded situations.
Tension builds as the teams face off.
And millions of people follow the action from the stadium and around the world.
For the spectators its all about the game, the beautiful game.
But in the days and weeks before the event another kind of tension builds, tension over how to ensure that everything goes smoothly, tension over security.
The host city is Rome.
The event? The Champions League final, between Manchester United and Barcelona.
Forty-eight hours til match time.
Facing the press, the mayor of Rome and top security chiefs. They field questions about crowd control, the threat of fan violence, alcohol sales, and even terrorism.
Powrie is a security expert who has handled such high-profile events as G-8 summits. We asked him to tour Rome with us to help identify some of the security issues that can come up.
History has shown that things can go desperately wrong during a Champions League final.
Heysel Stadium in Belgium, 1985: Fans of Liverpool Football Club breach a fence separating them from rival supporters of Juventus of Turin.
As Juventus fans retreat, an old retaining wall collapses. Thirty-nine people die and some 600 are injured.
Its the kind of tragedy no-one wants to see repeated as tens of thousand of fans descend on Rome.
Roberto Massucci of Italys national police is in charge of public order at major sporting events. He says that while its obvious that national authorities are responsible for security, the international community has an obligation to help.
Here at the Olympic Stadium, Massuccis deputy Mauro de Vita is showing how the stadium area has been sealed off and swept of any potential threats.
Following De Vita into the stadium are international police observers from Denmark, Austria and France.
Thierry Depraetère, of Frances Police Training Institute, says that he and his colleagues are not involved in the security operations, but keep a very close eye on them .
Theyre working on a project called EU-SEC II, developing best practices for major event security in Europe. And on new technologies, like electronic monitoring in crowded situations.
Coordinating this research far away from the crowds is a lab run by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, UNICRI.
UNICRIs Alberto Contaretti says that this type of cooperation started during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Turin as a way to exchange information among the normally secretive security services of various
Meanwhile, in Rome, match time approaches but life in the city needs to go on.
And so, security forces deploy to manage traffic. As well as to extract spoilers from the festive crowd.
These friends have travelled from all corners of the earth for the Champions League final.
Like the great majority of fans, the last thing they want is to have their fun spoiled by trouble.
In this case, Barcelona won. And so did security.
As a new understanding emerges, that security should, ideally, be perceived like a soft blanket, making everyone feel safe to have a good time. And ready to be pulled up when a little extra cover is needed.
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13:54Heysel Stadium Disaster May 29 1985 Part 1by MAGNUM104426,573 views
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