They only know violence

These are the masked hooligans from the Vienna derby

Not all the fans who stormed onto the pitch were hooligans.(Bild: GEPA)

On Sunday, hooligans from Germany and Slovakia were also in the stadium for the Vienna derby. They were fully involved in the riots. Sports sociologist Otmar Weiß from the University of Vienna says of them: "They are mostly people from completely desolate family backgrounds. Violence is the only language they understand."

Weiß emphasizes: "These people only grew up with violence. They were socialized with it and are constantly on the lookout for places where they can live out this need for violence. The soccer stadium is a perfect place for them. They are not interested in the sport at all. Such "fans" must not be allowed into a stadium, they must be taken out of circulation."

According to Weiß, hooligans usually come from completely desolate family backgrounds. Violence is the only language they know.(Bild: GEPA)

The 71-year-old explains why soccer has an enormous attraction for young people from lower social classes in particular: "Every young person is searching for their identity. But many of them have received too little love and too little attention in their families. So many of them cry out for recognition. They get this in a fan group. They have a community, their own jargon and their own clothes."

"Many enjoy the negative attention"
The university professor states: "Many young people and adults find family and social substitutes in soccer fan groups. They consciously set themselves apart from normality. They enjoy the negative attention they receive from the media and the police."

"There is nothing better than a victory on a fair play basis"
Compared to hooligans, however, these fans are much less dangerous. Weiß says: "But we still need constant communication with them. Rapid and Austria have to invest even more than before. This dialog is hard work. The ultimate goal would be to internalize the principle of fair play. There is nothing better in sport than a victory based on fair play."

The university professor also holds politicians to account: "They must finally do more for children and young people. The most important thing is educational reform, which has been overdue for 30 years. The lack of education leaves many young people without opportunities. This leads to frustration and aggression. None of this is new, we've known about it for a long time."