Ivan the Terrible: the hooligan most feared by the German police at Euro 2024

With Euro 2024 getting underway, German police will do everything in their power to ensure the tournament can take place in a safe environment, especially with hooligans like Ivan Bogdanov around.

Football hooliganism isn’t seen as much these days in the corporatised world of the English Premier League, but in Central Europe, it’s alive and well, with Bogdanov leading the charge against all-comers.

Ivan Bogdanov, according to The Sun, is one of the fiercest football fans around, known as the 'Beast of Genoa' along with his more derivative nickname 'Ivan the Terrible', he is known for striking fear into opposing fans.

Bogdanov is part of the so-called 'Serbian Ultras', who are set to descend on Gelsenkirchen, Germany for Serbia’s Euro 2024 matchup against England.

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Per The Sun, England are expecting up to 40,000 fans to flock to Germany, where they will be met by around 8,000 Serbs. UEFA has branded the tie as one of four 'high-risk' matches in the tournament.

Peter Both, the chief of police in Gelsenkirchen, recently told The Guardian, “up to 400 or 500 violence-seeking Serbian hooligans will travel to Germany, but we don't know it exactly and so that's our problem at the moment”.

Bogdanov is no stranger to the limelight, having been jailed previously for inciting a riot during a Euro 2012 qualifier between Serbia and Italy in the Italian city of Genoa.

Bogdanov was seen sitting on a fence, flare in one hand and wire cutters in the other, encouraging other fans to throw flares and other objects onto the pitch and at Italian fans, causing the game to be abandoned after six minutes, per The Daily Mail.

The Serbian Ultra explained his actions not long after the events at Genoa, explaining, “That evening, the Serbian national team needed to be punished… It had nothing to do with the game, it was a matter of attitude and respect towards people. I apologize to Genoa, I have nothing against Italy.” All seems fine then…

Ivan the Terrible and his gang of ultras have links to organised crime and far-right groups, per The Daily Mail, with rumours of a 'bunker' near the Red Star Belgrade stadium used for extreme violence.

With the European Championships set to start in the coming days, we can hope that fans on both sides will be able to avoid violent clashes and that police won’t have to get involved.

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