LISBON, 15 June 2004 — Portuguese police said yesterday they planned to have tight security measures in place for the Germany and Netherlands Euro 2004 match in Oporto, a game deemed “high-risk” by organizers.
Oporto police spokesman Pedro Teles said more officers would be deployed to patrol the northern city than the 1,800 who were used during the tournament’s opening match Saturday between Portugal and Greece but refused to give an exact number.
“All violent behavior and those considered not to be socially acceptable will not be tolerated and will be severely punished,” Teles told a news conference in Oporto, some 350 kilometers (220 miles) north of Lisbon.
Portuguese police will be aided by 16 German officers and 11 Dutch officers, he added.
Roughly 20,000 Dutch fans, and 11,000 Germans, are expected to attend the Group D match at the 52,000-seat Dragao Stadium.
The match is one of three first round games which police view as being “high-risk”.
While the traditionally troublesome England fans caused no major incidents in the first “high-risk” match against France in Lisbon on Sunday, the Netherlands also has a history of football hooliganism.
The Group B game between Croatia and England on June 21 in Lisbon is the other first-round “high-risk” game.
Although authorities contend all games hold risks, they say the biggest hooliganism threat comes from English, German and Dutch fans.
Van Bronckhorst at Home With New Dutch Formation
In Albufeira, Dutch defender Giovanni van Bronckhorst is feeling particularly comfortable with his team’s new formation going into their Euro 2004 opener against Germany.
Coach Dick Advocaat has opted for a 4-3-3 formation, switching from a conventional 4-4-2 just as Van Bronckhorst’s club Barcelona did with great success last season.
“The 4-4-2 was not a system that made us unhappy but it simply didn’t work out,” the 29-year-old told Reuters.
“Our comeback started when we changed the system. (Dutch midfielder) Edgar Davids was added to the team and (Brazilian playmaker) Ronaldinho started playing on the left instead of his usual spot behind the strikers.”
Van Bronckhorst’s surprising loan move to Barcelona at the beginning of the season changed a lot for the former Arsenal player who has now signed a three-year contract with the Spanish club.
“At the start the of this season my expectations were not so high as I was far away from being a regular at Arsenal and that is what I needed,” he said.
An excellent season in Spain in which he helped Barcelona finish second in the Primera Liga behind Valencia has now been rewarded with a spot as starting left back in the Dutch team.
