Explained: Why England fans are being asked to yell 'Panama' at Euro 2024 by German police

Fears of a recurrence of the horrific attack on England supporters by Russian thugs eight years ago have increased as German police are apparently anticipating up to 500 violence-seeking Serbian hooligans to fly to Germany for the tournament and the matches against England, Slovenia, and Denmark. England supporters are therefore asked to chant "PANAMA" at Arena AufSchalke.

Upon hearing the code word, staff at the Euros have been trained to “immediately offer the possibility of a place to retreat” for the person(s) in distress and then activate the 'PANAMA team', "a multilingual, multi-professional team which is trained in crisis intervention, non-violent communication and de-escalation."

Euro 2024 project manager at the City of Gelsenkirchen, Wilhelm Wesels told The Telegraph: "All of the city’s law enforcement partners, such as the fire brigade, the police and the municipal public order service, as well as the entire Euro staff on the grounds, are familiar with the PANAMA rules and can react accordingly.

"It was important to us to establish an awareness concept during the Euro in order to make the experience and attendance of our Euro 2024 events even safer."

According to a report by The Telegraph, the Football Association was unable to get an alcohol ban placed near the stadium, and the match itself will be the sole location where low-alcohol beer is available. The police have advised supporters attending Sunday's game in Gelsenkirchen to opt for cannabis rather than alcohol. The Class B drug was legalised in Germany on April 1, but it will not be permitted inside the 62,000-seat stadium, fan zones, clubs, or city squares.

The Euro 2024 opener for England will take place on June 16 at the Arena AufSchalke against Serbia.