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Meeting with the officials of the Kaunas County Public Order Board began preparations for friendly matches between the national football teams of Lithuania and Poland. During the meeting organized by the Polish Football Federation, special attention was paid to Polish fans.
"Unfortunately, we have problems with our fans, who are known for their aggressive behavior and may cause disturbances. Our goal is to be as prepared as possible for possible incidents and to prevent them," said Zdzislaw Krecina, General Director of the Polish Football Federation.
The exact number of Polish fans arriving will be clarified only in the middle of March, but at the moment a separate stand with more than 2,000 seats is allocated for them. It is planned that this stand will be completely isolated: separate entrance, two security zones before entering the stadium, separate sanitary facilities and sales outlets, the stand will be monitored by surveillance cameras. It was agreed that both Polish and Lithuanian officials' forces will be strengthened here.
"We will start work a few days before the match. Polish fans will be checked before they enter the city, we will monitor their behavior in Kaunas. As shown by the example in Šiauliai last year, the most aggressive Polish fans were pacified well before the match - various weapons were confiscated from them, some ended up in custody for public order violations," said Remigijus Stukas, head of the Kaunas County Public Order Board.
Officials from both countries' security and police forces agreed to exchange information regarding the number of fans, potential or planned incidents, and the arrival of the most aggressive Polish fan leaders.
"After inspecting the S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium, we can say that although it is small and was built in the middle of the last century, security can be ensured there. It is very good that there is the possibility to completely isolate Polish fans from Lithuanians," said Sylwester Zubrzycki, head of the Polish Security Agency.
Although the Kaunas stadium is currently covered with a thick layer of snow, it is expected to be ready for a friendly meeting by March 25th. Polish representatives assured that the snow does not scare them and they are ready to play in any weather.
