England game the only Euro 2024 clash to have low strength beer to ‘reduce risk’ amid fears of violent ultras

England’s Euro 2024 opener with Serbia will see full strength beer axed in an attempt by authorities to reduce fan violence.

It will be the only match of the European Championship in Germany that will be subject to the change.

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Sunday’s fixture at Schalke’s Veltina Arena – live on talkSPORT – has seen the security risk elevate from ‘high’ to ‘very high’, resulting in 1,300 extra officers being drafted in.

This is due to fear that around 500 Serbian ultras could look to target drink-fuelled Three Lions supporters.

England fans had been keen to try out 4.8 per cent strength Bitburger Premium inside the stadium, but that has been replaced by a 2.5 per cent alternative.

On top of that, attendees will also be limited to just two pints at a time.

A police source told The Sun: “The stadium beer will be the same per cent as a Radler made with sparkling lemonade, which you English call shandy. Authorities are trying to reduce risk.”

Meanwhile Gelsenkirchen police spokesman Stephan Knipp remarked: “It is just the England game which will have the low-strength beer. The other games at the stadium will have 4.8 per cent.”

Before adding: “Fans are not allowed to drink alcohol in the city’s main square, Heinrich-Konig-Platz.

“An England fan with a can or bottle of beer in the square will be asked to put it away, or it will be taken away. They will not immediately be arrested.

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AFP

“The square will be a fan zone for other games in the city, but not for England.

“Fans can however drink alcohol in the city’s bars and in a fan zone for England fans at the racecourse.”

And Euro 2024’s managing director Andreas Schar has insisted the beer shake-up has occurred in their bid to prevent order.

He stated: “The authorities rated that match from the start as a high-risk match.

“But that was also about setting up preventative measures and how they do the set-up in Gelsenkirchen…for them to take all these actions they had to rate the match high-risk.

“Serbia’s not been in the tournament for some time so there was some unknown factors – how are the two fan groups going to react? – that’s just an open question.

‘We – as organisers – are not that much concerned as our records do not show that there is a high risk of clashes – but of course the match has a bit of potential – if we’re not taking care – that it could escalate.”

It has been estimated that roughly 40,000 England fans will make the trip for Sunday’s clash, while around 8,000 Serbian supporters will travel over.