Smoke Weed, Stay Off The Booze, German Cops Wanted 'Chill Mood' Ahead Of UK Vs. Serbia Match, That Didn't Happen

The German police had issued a stern warning to English fans ahead of Sunday’s 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, and encouraged them to smoke cannabis instead of drinking alcohol, according to various outlets.

Metro.co.uk reported that an unprecedented security operation was undertaken to prevent potential "hooliganism" at the Serbia vs. England match.

Nevertheless, the inevitable happened: One British fan and seven Serbs are facing criminal charges and tournament bans after a brawl involving 150 people before Sunday's game broke out between the two countries. England beat Serbia 1-0.

Also known as the Euros, the soccer event is taking place in Germany from June 14 until July 14.

England's football fans had been warned against taking part in offensive chants in an attempt to provoke opposing fans.

No Problem Smoking Weed Though

"It's no problem for fans to smoke cannabis on the street," a Gelsenkirchen police spokesman told The Sun. "If we see a group of people drinking alcohol and looking a bit aggressive, and another group smoking cannabis, of course we'll look at the group drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol can make someone more aggressive, and smoking cannabis puts people in a chill mood. We want to prevent violence and keep people safe."

Some 40,000 British fans traveled to Gelsenkirchen ahead of Sunday’s match. Police even advised that low-percentage beer should be served at the match but admitted they were concerned about intoxicated fans.

"Our focus will be on fans who are drinking and potentially getting violent, that's why we in place safety precautions on alcohol," chief inspector Christof Burghardt told Sky News before the event, adding that England's opening game with Serbia is "high-risk." "The biggest challenge for us will be to identify violent, disruptive groups at an early stage, to separate them from peaceful and law-abiding fans."

Meanwhile, Germany legalized cannabis for personal use earlier this year. The German government in March adopted a bill to end the prohibition of cannabis for adults that will make possession and home cultivation of cannabis legal in the country, which began on April 1. 

There will be no outrageous intoxication at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, just interesting meetings with top executives, investors, advocates and policymakers. Join us this Oct. 8-9 in Chicago. Get your tickets now before prices surge by following this link.

Photo: British soccer fans by Shutterstock