Unfortunately, incidents of spectator violence have been a relatively common occurrence at football matches. Unlike the violence itself the legal point of view very rarely becomes the focus of attention. Thats why this work is throwing the spotlight on the legal issues associated with ensuring safety at football matches in their entirety. Considering the large number of parties involved with many different interests and rights - spectators, associations, clubs, politics - the legal problems prove to be complex. An overall strategy that goes beyond selective approaches is needed to synchronise the different actions to be taken by authorities, clubs or football associations. However, all this has to comply with the requirements of the respective constitutional procedure - the rule of law does not allow safety at any cost.