German Football Association Security Chief commences new role as Executive Director of the International Centre for Sport Security - ICSS - in Doha

The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), the new international organisation specialising in improving security in sport, has today announced that Helmut Spahn has officially started his role as its new Executive Director.

Spahn joins the ICSS following a distinguished career in the sport security sector. Most recently, he was the Chief Security Officer of the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund, DFB). He was also Chairman of the Commission on Prevention and Security of the DFB and served as the Head of Security for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the 2011 Women’s FIFA World Cup in Germany. Spahn has also been a leading UEFA security officer for the Champions League and Europa League since 2007.

Spahn joined other senior ICSS officials, including President Mohammed Hanzab, to discuss the key issues in major event security at the recent International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) South American Executive Policing Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He now officially takes up his post at the ICSS today and will be based at the organisation’s headquarters in Doha, Qatar.

Helmut Spahn, Executive Director of ICSS, said: "I am excited about my new role at the ICSS and look forward to tackling many of the security challenges that currently face the sporting event industry. Every sporting event requires a tailored approach to ensure the safety of athletes, officials and fans and I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with the ICSS team in this new and exciting project to help support better safety and security in the world of sport."

Mohammed Hanzab, President of ICSS, said: "Helmut Spahn is a leading figure in the sport security industry and I am delighted to officially welcome him to the ICSS. He joins at a very exciting time for us, and our dedicated team looks forward to helping sporting event organisers address important security issues in the months and years ahead."

For more information, contact: media@theicss.org.

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