Greece, like many other countries, has suffered in recent years from sport-related violent incidents, inside and outside of sports venues, which unfortunately also caused human victims.

In recent years, there has been a significant coordinated effort by the government and the sports movement to deal with this challenge. The Council of Europe Saint-Denis Convention on an integrated safety, security and services approach at football matches and other sports  events served as a compass in this effort.

“The translation of the relevant online educational platform (MOOC) on "Safety, Security and Service at Sports Events" aimed at promoting the Saint-Denis Convention into Greek, will play a catalytic role in the appropriate education and training of all the involved stakeholders (Police, club and stadium safety officers, stewards, etc.). It will contribute to establishing a common perception of a multi-agency integrated approach and the role that everyone is called upon to serve” said George Mavrotas, Secretary General of Sport in Greece and Chair of the Greek National Coordination Committee of the Saint-Denis Convention.

With the online educational platform translated into Greek, the Greek arsenal against the threat of sport-related violence is significantly expanded, as the perception of the multi-agency integrated approach can now be appropriated by all stakeholders in a systematic and certified way.

The Council of Europe, the Greek Secretariat General of Sports, the Hellenic Football Federation and the University of Liverpool have cooperated to translate and adapt this course into Greek, aiming at safer, more secure and more welcoming sports events in Greece.

“In its last meeting, the Greek National Coordination Committee of the Saint Denis Convention decided that the relevant material will be officially introduced in the training and educational activities of all the personnel involved in safety, security and service at sport events, from the State and the Sport Federations”, informed George Mavrotas.

This online course is also available in English, Polish and Portuguese, with other linguistic versions being prepared for future release.

The Council of Europe signed licensing agreements with Interpol and UEFA to enable them to host the course on their e-learning platforms and widespread the principles and standards of the Saint-Denis Convention to their audiences.

Other sports organisations, like FIFA and the Confédération africaine de football (CAF), as well as numerous national authorities, also use this course as a reference e-learning tool for their staff responsible for safety, security and service at football matches and other sports events.

Today more than 5,000 professionals have already followed this training.