The Uefa president says rowdy fans needs to be tackled with the formation of a new authority dedicated to policing sports arenas
Michel Platini has demanded the creation of a sports police force to fight against football hooliganism.
The Uefa president, speaking ahead of his re-election for a third term at the annual Uefa congress, has insisted that a special police force needs to be formed in Europe to quell the threats caused by trouble on the terraces.
Incidents involving the likes of AEK Athens, Dynamo Kiev, CSKA Moscow and Serbia have all raised concern in recent months, and the 59-year-old admits he is worried that more serious cases could occur unless new measures are put in place.
“In recent months, we have all been struck by certain images that I thought were a thing of the past. Some of us experienced that past at first hand. In my case, it was exactly 30 years ago,” said Platini in reference to the Heysel Stadium disaster of 1985.
The Frenchman was a Juventus player at the European Cup final in Brussels before which 39 people were killed after Liverpool fans instigated trouble between the two sets of supporters.
“Nobody wants a repeat of such events,” he added. “We need tougher stadium bans at European level and - I will say it again - the creation of a European sports police force.
“This is something I starting calling for back in 2007, just after I was first elected.”
The Greek Super League was suspended for one week earlier this month after a pitch invasion during the Greek Cup quarter-final clash between AEK Athens and Olympiakos, while Dynamo Kiev and CSKA Moscow have both been forced to close parts of their stadiums for European fixtures this season after crowd trouble.
These incidents come hot on the heels of the Euro 2016 qualifying match between Serbia and Albania, which was abandoned after a drone carrying a political flag was flown into the stadium, sparking scenes of mayhem both on the pitch and in the crowd.
