Young football fans from 30 countries gathered at the Euro-Park in Rust (Germany) to discuss violence and racism in stadiums. The initiative, promoted by the Council of Europe in cooperation with Uefa, takes inspiration from the fact that "racism still casts a shadow on football" and intends to "act preventatively in the run-up to the European football championship" of next Summer. The course, which opened today, will last until Thursday 10th April and is part of the CoE campaign for the young, called "All different All the same". A note from the promoters points at "two recent examples of racism: a Jew who was a regular Chelsea fan was verbally attacked during a UK match; some fans made racist comments on a Moroccan player, the Valenciennes defender Abdeslam Ouaddou, in Metz, France". So, the CoE organised this event in Rust to hold workshops on: the young and violence in sports; the role of public powers; a guidebook to help the football clubs draw up a "fan’s charter"; an "exchange of experiences on violence with the governments and local authorities".
