As part of the preparations for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, Tbilisi hosted a security and safety training organised by UEFA and NFIP Network. The seminar consisted of several modules for stewards and MIA representatives, as well as joint training that will facilitate coordination between different agencies during the tournament.
The workshop aimed to provide information on the principles of crowd safety management at football matches, address key challenges related to safety and service, and support GFF and its partners in preparing for the tournament.
The workshop was implemented by UEFA representatives Zeljko Pavlica, Steve Furnham, Frank Wijnveld, Lukasz Nalewaj, Kate Eddy, Chris Baker, Victoria von Doderer, Chantal Hectors, Juha Karjalainen, Mark Otten, Zsolt Sicho, Brigitta Major and Sharon Kiko, as well as the head of NFIP Network, Adrian Dinca.
Participants received UEFA certificates after the workshop.
“As you know, Georgia and Romania are co-hosting the UEFA European Under-21 Championship between 21 June and 8 July. Georgia will host a total of 16 matches, including the final. As part of the preparation process, Tbilisi hosted a security workshop. It is important for every relevant agency and person to work together to ensure that the tournament will be exemplary from the point of view of security. I would like to thank the Georgian government and all agencies whose representatives attended this workshop. We now have around 70 certified stewards with appropriate education who will be working at the tournament” – David Mujiri (GFF General Secretary).
“Over the past week, we have held a UEFA security workshop in Tbilisi, which forms a part of the preparatory works for the European U-21 Championship that will be hosted by Georgia and Romania.
“This is a new initiative that UEFA has started implementing this year. Last year’s events during the Champions League final in Paris showed us that more needs to be done in preparation for club and international tournaments. We therefore refined and improved our workshop programme, which we delivered to the trainees this week. The programme consists of several elements. One of these elements is designed for venue stewards, while another is for police representatives. Finally, we held a joint seminar, where we once again emphasised that best results will always be achieved by working together” – Steve Furnham (UEFA security expert).
