Germany to boost security for soccer team

  1. Posted on Thursday 22 October 2009 - 11:00
    Mernat
    Image of Mernat
    Mernat Mafirakurewa AfricaNews reporter in Johannesburg, South Africa
    Germany is considering providing bullet proof vests for the soccer team when it visits South Africa for next year's world cup. Guenter Schnelle the head of BaySecur said that the world cup stars should be expected to wear bullet-proof vests if they venture away from the team hotel at next year's tournament.
    world cup trophy
    BaySecur is the company that normally provides security for the German national soccer team.

    “The possibility for the players of moving outside of the hotel boundaries should be kept to a minimum,” he is quoted as saying in Sport-Bild. "Otherwise there must be a full escort: armed security guards and bullet-proof vests for the players."

    Helmut Spahn the head of security for German Football Federation (DFB) said they were looking at ways of beefing up security.

    "We will probably use more personnel than we would normally have," said Spahn, who is expected in South Africa next week to have a look at security arrangements.

    "We need to first of all get an idea of what security arrangements are already in place for both the team and the media.

    "Then we will decide then whether to improve the security measures or whether they are sufficient."

    He said private bodyguards would protect the players both within and around the Velmore Grande hotel in the South African province of Gauteng.

    According to Spahn, there is little chance the DFB will rely only on local security guards in South Africa and Germany's federal police force is already in discussions with the DFB on the issue.

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