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UEFA’s executive committee has declared a tough new policy of opposition to hooliganism with new president Michel Platini recommending all 53 member countries to impose tougher sanctions.

The move comes after several unsavoury incidents in Europe this season, the latest of which involved serious crowd trouble at Norway’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Bosnia in Oslo on Saturday.

Platini told an extraordinary executive meeting that the time had come for tougher measures.

UEFA communications director William Gaillard said: “Mr Platini recently wrote to the presidents of the clubs taking part in the last 16 of the Champions League, asking for their support and help.

“Now we have seen incidents at Euro 2008 matches at certain venues. So Michel Platini is also going to write to the association presidents to remind them of their duties.

“The executive committee fully supports his stance of zero tolerance against violence and violent people,” Gaillard added.

“UEFA, the associations and the clubs can do quite a lot when it comes to violence on the pitch and in stadiums,” he said, “however, we can do less away from the stadiums — there we need the help of the various public order authorities.”

Platini said he would write to the presidents of all 53 UEFA member nations calling on them to impose stiffer sanctions and combat what he described as a “deeply negative trend”.

There has been a rise in violence at matches across Europe this season with a policeman killed following trouble at a Serie A match in Sicily two months ago.

Last November, a Paris St Germain fan was shot and killed by a policeman after trouble at a UEFA Cup match.

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