In the second episode of our mini-series on safety and service, we learn from Guy Theyskens, First Superintendent of the Belgian Federal Police and Head of the Belgian National Football Information Point (NFIP). The NFIP brings together leading governmental and football policing experts from across Europe; with 38 active members, it works to strengthen international police co-operation for football matches.

In this interview, Guy Theyskens highlights a fundamental principle at the core of the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events (the Saint-Denis Convention):
“Safety cannot be looked at in isolation. It must be a combination of safety, security and service.”

The joint European Union - Council of Europe project “Balance S4” puts this principle into action by breaking down silos and promoting an integrated multi-agency approach to managing sports events. As Guy points out, raising awareness may seem like a small step, but is a crucial one in driving real change. That is why Balance S4 is committed to give a voice to all stakeholders involved in the planning and management of sports events.

Guy shares a tragic real-life incident from a lower-league football match in Belgium: a player, trying to remove a flare from the pitch, saw it explode in his hand, costing him several fingers. Shockingly, this type of accident is not uncommon. “Stewards often wrap those objects on the ground to throw them out of the pitch”, Guy warns, underlying the urgent need for awareness-raising and preventive actions.

This tragic case serves as a stark reminder: education and awareness are key to preventing avoidable accidents at sports events. Stewards, players, firefighters and all matchday staff must be properly trained to manage safety risks, because even a split-second decision can lead to life-changing consequences.

  Watch the full interview here