In our fifth episode of Balance S4 Mini-series on safety and service at sports events we talk to Siobhán O’Brien, Fan Relations Manager at the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Siobhán shares her insights on the crucial role of promoting safety and service good practices at sports events. She states “...security can’t happen in isolation. You could have the most secure event, but it may not necessarily be the most welcoming event or the safest event. All three need to happen concurrently”.
This underlines the importance of the joint European Union - Council of Europe project Balance S4, which aims to further strengthen the safety and service pillars of the Saint-Denis Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and other Sports Events.
Siobhán speaks about safety as a collective responsibility - and excellent service plays a key role in achieving it. “If you provide a very good service level, be that physical infrastructure or the environment, you will automatically improve safety”. The Project Balance S4 collaborates with UEFA and other international stakeholders to promote good practices enhancing safety and service at sports events across Europe.
One example of such good practices was UEFA’s use of the “rapid response mechanism” at the UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany. This mechanism used QR codes visible around the stadiums, for immediate assistance provided by qualified teams to supporters who requested help or support for any personal reason - for example, related to any incidents of harassment, discrimination, or any kind of physical or emotional discomfort.
Watch the full interview here.
On 4 and 5 of July 2025, the Balance S4 joint project organises in partnership with UEFA the kick-off meeting of the Guidelines Drafting Expert Group. The 14th edition of the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 tournament (2 – 27 July, Switzerland) presents the perfect opportunity for the members of the group to develop the structure of the guidelines at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, learn about the safety and service arrangements during the competition and observe the measures implemented during two matches (in Geneva and Zurich).
Let’s strengthen the collaboration among stakeholders and reinforce the service pillar together!
More information:
Concept note of the Guidelines Drafting Expert Group
Programme of the Observation visit to UEFA Women's EURO 2025
Discover the Saint-Denis Convention through an online course
