The Atlanta Police Department will deploy more officers on the streets this week ahead of the highly charged World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina.
The teams meet on Wednesday for the right to play either Spain or France in the final and there are widespread fears of trouble in the city either side of a fixture between two countries that have a history of disagreement in both a sporting and political context.
A statement from the local police read: “As Atlanta prepares to host an upcoming World Cup semi-final match and welcomes increased numbers of residents and visitors, the Atlanta Police Department has enhanced its citywide public safety and security posture.
“Additional personnel and resources are already deployed and will continue to be strategically assigned in and around the event venues, entertainment districts, and other high-traffic areas to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.
“These proactive measures are designed to protect the public, deter criminal activity, and ensure residents and visitors can safely enjoy this historic event.”
There are also concerns trouble may flare inside the stadium with FIFA’s ticketing policy meaning it is impossible to strictly enforce segregation.
England and Argentina fans clash in Miami
There were scuffles over the weekend in Miami, a city with a large hispanic population, as England fans celebrated beating Norway.
Hours later, Argentina followed the Three Lions into the last four with a 3-1 win over 10-man Switzerland.
Argentina fans sang about the English throughout the game in Kansas City and the players stoked the flames further after the game, chanting “for the Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo’s [Messi’s] last one” in the dressing room.
The song references the Falkland Islands (Argentinians refer to them as Las Malvinas), an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean over which the two countries went to war in 1982, as well as the late Diego Maradona.
Maradona was the key figure in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between the teams with two goals. For the first, he punched the ball into the net – later describing it as ‘the hand of God’ – before scoring a brilliant second as Argentina ran out 2-1 winners.
The song reminds us of the Malvinas – Argentina midfielder De Paul
Speaking after the Switzerland game, Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul said: “It’s a match that brings back many memories because of what Diego did and because of ’86.
“And on top of that, because of the songs, reminds us of the Malvinas and its heroes. But we have to understand that the Malvinas must be discussed in other places.”
Around 30,000 England fans were in Miami over the weekend and a similar number will make their way to Atlanta. But they could still be outnumbered due to the Argentinian diaspora across the southern states of the US.
