On March 16, a flare of violence erupted as Real Sociedad ultras attacked a group of Roma fans who had traveled to San Sebastián to attend the Europa League clash between the two teams. This kind of incident has become more frequent in recent years: clashes involving football radicals, rival factions, or factions within the same club. A growing concern for European football? A three-part report examined the scope of these events, drawing on data and official sources to map the trend for audiences in Spain and beyond. [Citation: regional sports violence report detailing post-pandemic patterns]
Authorities note a rise in post-pandemic incidents. The Supreme Sports Council (CSD) has acknowledged the uptick, and a member of the National Commission against Violence in Sports Performances explains how the body assigns safety points across Spanish football. The reported figures show a rise in sanctioned incidents: 1,207 in the 2018-2019 season, increasing to 1,579 in 2021-2022. The 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons were affected by match closures or capacity limits. [Citation: official commission data and safety framework]
Ultras are returning to the stands, though the scene is not identical to the late 1980s and the 1990s when banners and symbols were more openly displayed in certain venues. The number of incidents involving radical groups has risen since the pandemic, affecting both pitchside action and the areas around stadiums. [Citation: safety commission assessment of post-pandemic dynamics]
When the commission speaks of roughly 1,200 incident reports in a full season, it characterizes the trend as troubling. In the 2021/22 season the count neared 1,600. Police sources told this report that the current season is not yet finished, but the expectation is that figures will be in a similar range. The Anti-Violence Commission, along with the league, the football federation, prosecutors, and the interior ministry, were consulted to form a clearer picture of the rise in violence. [Citation: safety and enforcement cross-check]
LISTA
Parties consulted agreed that Spanish football has been used as a reference point for violence by fans, though the level is not comparable to the worst episodes seen in some other leagues. Leagues like Poland or Russia are mentioned as benchmarks in a broader European context, with Spain seen as striving to match higher safety standards. LaLiga has cooperated with the commission and has opened doors for interviews and dialogue about improvements in security. [Citation: regional review of league-level safety measures]
Officials emphasize ongoing training for security personnel and the sharing of best practices with other leagues. They note that technology supports security work and provide data on reports about chants, crowd incursions, and thrown objects. [Citation: security best-practice overview]
We set an example, but incidents keep rising. Conflicting narratives persist. What is the state of ultranational groups and fan violence in Spanish football? The prosecutor’s office notes that violence is not simply created; it evolves. Insults with xenophobic or homophobic content are now explicitly prosecuted, and stadiums can be closed or fined heavily for aggressive actions. The reference point remains a visual of flare use from the past, reminding observers of how quickly fan culture can shift. [Citation: prosecutorial guidance on sanctions and evolution of violence concepts]
Following these developments, existing legislation has been amended to include homophobic or xenophobic insults in the sanctions catalog. Clubs may face stadium closures and fines up to 60,000 euros for perpetrators. While some ultra groups have been expelled from venues, others have reformed and continued activities under new names or disguises to avoid lists. Several clubs have led the way by ejecting notorious groups, while others continue underground activity. Police sources warn that such regroupings often involve rebranding and renaming to stay active in different venues. [Citation: sanctions evolution and case studies]
LIST
Anti-Violence authorities maintain a list of radical supporters barred from clubs. The roster includes fans from across LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank, with several named groups associated with long-standing rivalries. Not all dangerous factions appear on every list, and some have transformed their identities to stay active. In some cases, these factions have persisted under new banners while maintaining old networks. [Citation: official lists and group rebranding observations]
One notorious case involves a club with two competing violent factions that occasionally clash inside the stadium and maintain ties to other longstanding groups. This pattern shows how internal divisions can fuel ongoing disruption. There have been notable clashes involving Real Sociedad and other teams in recent years, including incidents around major derbies and after-match confrontations. Arrests were recorded, injuries reported, and property damage noted in several episodes. [Citation: incident summaries and law-enforcement reporting]
The new groups often claim continuity with historic supporters, though authorities say some identities are simply reimagined to bypass sanctions. This trend helps explain why some ultras remain in the stands while covertly displaying symbols. It also underscores the difficulty of eradicating organized fan violence when rebranding is common. [Citation: analysis of rebranding and persistence]
KEYS
Despite ongoing efforts by anti-violence bodies, these groups remain active both outside and inside stadiums. Security officials note that clubs must enforce internal regulations, as allowed by law, to suspend or revoke memberships for supporters who engage in violence. The challenge is ensuring decisive action while maintaining fair processes. Some groups hide their symbols or alter them to avoid detection, a tactic that complicates enforcement. [Citation: enforcement challenges and club obligations]
Judicial processes play a role too. Some cases drag through courts for years, which can allow groups to re-enter stadiums before final outcomes are reached. The infrastructure of safety depends on timely legal resolutions and coordinated responses from police, clubs, and federation bodies. [Citation: judicial timelines and enforcement impact]
Another layer is the categorization of matches as high-risk, especially when lower divisions host intense rivalries. This classification, used to gauge security needs, can affect how authorities monitor events from the lower leagues up to the top tier. This dynamic creates tougher conditions for officials trying to keep moderate games safe. [Citation: match-risk classifications and security planning]