Alarm mood in Vienna: Football fans fear violent riots!

Alarm mood in Vienna: Football fans fear violent riots!

Ottakringer Straße, 1160 Wien, Österreich - The football world looks forward to the upcoming World Cup qualification game between Albania and Serbia in Tirana this Saturday, June 6, 2025. While the fans in Albania are looking forward to an exciting match, there is a great concern for possible riots in Vienna. As meinbezirk.at have often ended in one chaos, especially in the octakringer street, known collection point in Vienna after playing football.

The UEFA has already excluded several games, such as Armenia against Azerbaijan, due to the high potential for conflict. However, the meeting of Albania and Serbia is one of the explosive duels that are still on the plan. In the past, there were not only riots between the fans, but also violent clashes with the police. One example is the mass brawl in 2014 in Belgrade, which was triggered by a drone with a "Großalbania" flag. But also in Vienna itself, it became uncomfortable in 2015 after a Serbia victory in Albania when about 50 Albanian fans attacked a Serbian restaurant. These incidents are symptomatic of the violent fan culture, which repeatedly discharges.

Risks and preparations of the police

The situation remains tense and the police are alerted because the mobilization calls of fans on social networks are already in circulation. The use of around 200 additional police officers in Vienna was announced to ensure security, especially with regard to Austria against Romania. Oe24.at Rises that the Ottakringer Strasse often witnesses of riots was. Historical incidents from riot after playing football indicate a worrying tendency.

Especially after the last riot after the Semifinal victory of Croatia in 2022, when dozens of firecrackers were ignited and fascist greetings were shown, the uncertainty is great. The police are planning more than 100 civil servants in the run-up to the game and will carry out pyrotechnics controls to prevent potential riots.

A look at the fan culture

The dark side of the fan culture is not just a problem in Vienna. A report by Deutschlandfunk shows that riots in many football games, such as the Rhenish derby between Borussia Mönchengladbach and the 1. fc Köln, are repeatedly possible. There, for example, fans became active on the pitch when igniting fluores. Such incidents raise the question of how the fan culture can be dealt with in order to reject violence.

The police and the associations are faced with the challenge of getting the riots under control, while the fascination for football is captivating millions of people. For the upcoming games, it remains to be seen whether the tension will be discharged into anger or whether the security measures can work. It is currently clear: the anticipation for the match is accompanied by a shadow that cannot be overlooked.