Sports

Sport organizations, their officials, coaches, and teams, as well as individual players and athletes, present attractive targets from the perspective of criminals. Unfortunately, there are documented cases of attacks, as well as kidnappings and robberies. In the personal protection of well-known athletes, one must also consider stalkers, intrusive fans, and paparazzi.

Of course, the determining factor is always a specific threat assessment. Prominent athletes are often perceived publicly as representatives of a luxurious Western lifestyle. Some clubs also represent symbols that symbolize commerce and prosperity.

This can attract financially or politically motivated perpetrators, not only in the context of competition, tournaments, or training but also in private areas. In some cases, even children or spouses may come under scrutiny. National team members sometimes have to accept “spillover” threat risks that primarily concern the country they represent.

From our consulting practice, we know firsthand that elite athletes have been increasingly concerned about their personal security since the high-profile attacks in Paris (November 13, 2015) and Dortmund (April 11, 2017).

The study “Personal Protection in Professional Football,” submitted by Oliver Graf as an academic thesis at SRH Hochschule Heidelberg in 2019, confirms this trend. Empirically, it has also been shown that players and security officers of clubs and associations do not see clear risk associations with training, match operations, or team travel but rather identify the greatest security gaps in private contexts.

The rising numbers of stalking cases in sports or the significant increase in robberies and burglaries targeting football professionals and their families, especially in England and Germany, demonstrate that these concerns are generally justified.

Most prominent athletes do not consider permanent security escort necessary and are generally correct in this assessment. However, the situation changes when specific threat intelligence such as concrete threats or suspicious findings justify direct personal protection.

A security concept should generally be based on the results of a risk analysis, which includes current and hypothetical threats, your “digital footprint,” or what you have already done regarding security

A solid basic protection is typically achieved through a concept with the following components:

1. Behavioural training – including communication on social media

2. Mechanical and electronic security devices at home

3. Use of the Proteus.one smartphone emergency app with Bluetooth Flic button

4. Event-specific travel security measures depending on risk categorization

5. Discreet intelligence activities in your residential environment with 24/7 alarm readiness

6. Separated security escort in justified exceptional cases.

Proteus.one’s international Sport Security Footprint has steadily grown over the past 10 years. Private clients as well as international sports associations, leagues, and clubs trust us in creating and implementing modern, personalized security concepts.

We not only handle project-based security for major events but also provide ongoing personal protection for relevant actors.

What sets us apart is a deep understanding of the sports context, a specific network, and extensive experience in collaboration with authorities and security organizations (BOS).

We are proud and delighted to contribute to enhancing safety and security in sports.