Security required

Mammoth task and goosebump moment

Storm's head of security Bruno Hütter (left) with company boss Wolfgang Bravc (center).(Bild: GEPA)

On Wednesday, the first Champions League match on Carinthian soil will take place. Preparations are in full swing at Sturm and those responsible, and a security company from Graz has been on site since Monday to ensure that everything runs smoothly at Sturm's alternative stadium.  

Around 28,000 fans will turn the Wörthersee Stadium into a cauldron on Wednesday evening. A security company from Graz will ensure that everything runs smoothly before, during and after the match. "Bravc Friendly Security" has been working for Sturm since 2010, but the first Champions League match on Carinthian soil is nothing out of the ordinary, even for the veterans.

We have 472 men on site, who we are gathering from all over Austria in buses.

Security-Chef Wolfgang Bravc

"We've been in Klagenfurt since Monday and have three trailers full of equipment with us," explains company boss Wolfgang Bravc, for whom it is above all a mammoth logistical task. "We have 472 people on site, who we are collecting from all over Austria in buses. Many of our employees do the security job on a part-time basis. It's not that easy to get enough people together for Wednesday at this time of day.

"Much more private transport"
The first home match against FC Brugge is the biggest match Sturm has organized on its own in the club's history. "We have different requirements than for a cup final, for example, where 70 buses with fans come. There is a lot more individual traffic on Wednesday, we expect 2,500 cars," explains Bravc, whose team is also responsible for traffic planning. We have a complete warehouse with 400 traffic signs, signage boards and the like. Employees are also authorized to regulate a junction."

Bravc always keeps an eye on the fans.(Bild: zVg/BFS Security)

The Bravc team has been planning for the royal spectacle for around a month - Monday was the day to get down to business in the Lindwurm city. "We've started the construction work and stadium surveillance is already underway," says the company boss, who is already looking forward to the event despite the stressful days. "It's a dream come true that we can play in the Champions League. When the anthem sounds, it gives me goosebumps."