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Bremen wants Bundesliga to cover police costs

April 8, 2015

The German city of Bremen has provided the German football league with a bill for police costs ahead of the Bundesliga match between Werder Bremen and HSV. The DFL says it won't accept the demands though.

https://p.dw.com/p/1F46g
Bundesliga Stadion Polizei
Image: picture-alliance/dpa

The German Football League (DFL) has said on Wednesday that it will not accept a 300,000 euro ($326,115) costs bill from the Bremen police, submitted ahead of the north German derby on April 19.

"The decision by the state of Bremen doesn't solve any problems, and is questionable from a legal perspective too," a spokesman for the DFL said. "This suggestion is rejected by us, as it is by the German Olympic Sports Confederation, the German Football Association and the other German states too."

The German Football League says it is now investigating its legal options to avoid paying the bill. Bremen's Minister of the Interior Ulrich Mäurer said that the invoice was issued due to the heightened police presence at the traditional north German derby.

The city plans on sending 1000 police officers to the game, which is expected to attract 42,000 visitors. Normally, only 150 policemen and women would be present at a Bundesliga game.

Mäurer says he expects legal opposition to the bill, but that he is confident that the step has broad public backing.

"Surveys have shown that over 80 percent of the population support that professional clubs should take over all or part of these sorts of costs," Mäurer said.

al/apc (dpa, SID)