The tournament, set to kick off in München on June 14, is expected to bring with it the risk of terrorist attacks and hooligan-related violence, on top of an increase in crimes authorities deal with on a regular basis such as theft and assault.
According to Bild.de, around 22,000 members of the federal police will be stationed at borders, railway stations, airports, stadiums, public viewing areas, and other places thought to be potential crime hotspots. Officers will be prohibited from taking holiday time during the month-long event.
Among the groups authorities fear may try to strike is the Islamic State. Its members have targeted large sporting events and other similar-sized gatherings in the past. In 2015, for example, ISIS militants massacred 130 people at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris.
While terrorism is a threat, those in charge of the federal police have also been busy preparing their squad for the potential of incidents among hooligans, those for whom support of a particular club often turns violent, if not deadly.
As the Associated Press reports, hundreds of officers took part in training exercises earlier this year where a situation involving hooligans was simulated to show them how to handle it, should it play out for real in June.
"As police we have to be prepared because there's the potential risk of hooligans or violent people," Thuringia police spokesman Karsten Täschner told the outlet. "Today we use the chance to train for those circumstances, how to stop them, how to communicate with them, and also how to force them if they’ve done any trouble."
In March, it was reported that the United Kingdom had announced that over 1,600 people who had been banned from stadiums over hooligan-related behaviour would be forced to surrender their passports to prevent them from trying to visit Germany to support England.
German hooligans, on the other hand, are expected to be out in full force, wreaking havoc in the name of die Mannschaft.
