The National Police of Córdoba “plays” in El Arcángel: this is how they protect it

What was a day off for the fans, for Group II of Prevention and Response Unit (UPR) of the National Police represents an intense day of work surveillance of the stadium and its surroundingslike every time Córdoba CF plays at El Arcángel. Directed on this occasion by the sub-inspector Neftali Coboaround twenty agents were responsible for ensuring security and controlling the most confrontational elements of the supporters, if there were any.

divided into three vansbefore the match, observation work takes place. “We look above all at areas where amateurs. We already know the local fans, both the clubs and the bars that serve as meeting points,” said the sub-inspector.

“The opposing fans, Córdoba being a tourist city, tend to disperse along the Tendillas, the Jewish quarter or Riberasince they take advantage of it to have fun”, he added. This work is preceded by the information tasks already carried out by the colleagues from Zaragoza, who alert on the arrival in Cordoba of contradictory elementswhich will depend more or less on the characteristics of the supporters in question and the special relationship they have with the supporters of Córdoba. In this way, the most confrontational supporters can maintain twinning links with the Cordoba team, which dilutes the risk of confrontations.

Specific coordination with the Provincial Information Brigade is essential to control the most violent people who travel with the visiting team and who always represent a small percentage. What can you expect from Zaragoza fans? According to Cobo, some 400 peoplebut between them seven individuals They represented a certain danger.

“We have advance information from the police about where this hobby is coming from, so we already know these are coming. seven violent radicals“.

The ABC team which accompanies Group II of the UPR already hears, in the police van in which it goes to the stadium, how its colleagues in civilian clothes are asked to continue carrying out the operations. follow up of these individuals without losing them. “As soon as they leave Zaragoza, they are monitored to know where they are going to stay and practically as soon as they set foot in Cordoba, they have plainclothes staff above them”, they explain from this security body.

In this specific case, when we learned that they were in the bar Los Tamicoswhere many Córdoba supporters gather, six uniformed police officers were also sent to prevent any intention of fighting. In any case, the match against Zaragoza was not considered particularly problematic.

In other accidents, cut off neighboring streets at the stadium before the start of the match, to “herd up” the fans, a term by which the police describe the act of directing people attending the match through certain areas, so that they avoid crowds and encourage better control.

This time, such cuts were not necessary. Additionally, during more complicated matches, police officers can reach multiply up to all available agents, which reach 60 if necessary.

Areas of deployment

Córdoba fans mainly gather in the area where Los Tamicos is located, but also in the surrounding areas. Moral Squarewhich has become, with its abundance of hospitality businesses, another must-visit spot for pre-match drinks.

Once all this crowd has dissipated and the fans have arrived at the stadium, the police officers from the three vans who were carrying out observation missions also go to the Arcángel. “The first agents leave with the referee teamto whom security is also provided,” the sub-inspector said. “As the stadium fills up and we observe the movements of the fans, especially the violent parties, we enter with them.”

Once inside the stadium, police are stationed wherever necessary: ​​“The largest police presence is at the south end, where the stadium is. super hobby of Córdoba, and in the area of ​​the upper stand, where this year takes place visiting fans“.

Agents are thus deployed at strategic points to control ultra elements. “Normally there is no problem, we only carry out special deployments on days when we think, for example, that it may be invade the groundlike when Córdoba stood up,” explained Neftalí Cobo.

The sub-inspector recalled that the Sports lawmuch more severe in the event of drug consumption if it takes place in the sports arena than in an ordinary arena. In fact, the fine for smoke a joint can reach the 3,000 eurossomething sufficiently dissuasive so that no type of drug is consumed, which, with the ban on sell alcohol in the fields, which dates back to 2007, represents a containment of the problems derived from certain excesses.

While the fans enjoy the match, the police monitor the everyone’s safety. “Maybe the officer who is very amateur can see something out of the corner of his eye,” the sub-inspector joked. In each local match for the rest of the season, UPR will face in its particular league new challenges to protect El Arcángel.