Concerns of Police and Fire Officials in Portugal Over Security Issues in European Championship Football Matches - 2004-01-13

Police and fire officials in Portugal have expressed concerns that with only six months remaining until the start of the European Championship football tournament, the host country, Portugal, still lacks the necessary personnel and security equipment for this event. In an interview with the newspaper Publico, these officials stated that emergency medical crews and police have seen little evidence of the promised training by the Portuguese government and the 16.5 million euros pledged. Fernando Curto, head of the National Union of Professional Firefighters of Portugal, mentioned a nationwide shortage of personnel providing emergency medical care, particularly in the cities of Lisbon, the capital, and Oporto, where the four main stadiums for the tournament are located. The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 12 to July 4, 2004, across 10 sports stadiums throughout Portugal. It is expected that three million visitors will flock to this 10 million population country to watch the matches. Security concerns have heightened following a clash on January 4 between supporters of the Lisbon clubs Benfica and Sporting, which resulted in three men being hospitalized. This violent confrontation occurred at the main train station in Lisbon following a match at the Benfica stadium, which will host the final of the European Championship. In that match, Sporting defeated the host team 3-1, serving as a security test for the stadiums for the tournament.