From Presidential Protection to Stadium Safety: A Modern Approach to Security Management

Jurica Jurjević, Head of Security, Croatian Football Federation

Co-founder of Smart Security Consulting & Head of the Department for Prevention, Security and Integrity at the Croatian Football Federation, Mr. Jurjević brings over two decades of experience in state official protection and high-risk event security. In this interview, Jurjević shares key insights from his extensive work in close protection, large-scale event coordination, and sports security management. From safeguarding world leaders to overseeing one of the largest concerts in European history, his approach reflects a comprehensive, intelligence-driven philosophy of modern security.

By: Damir Muharemović
E-mail: damir.muharemovic@asmideast.com

a&s Middle East: Mr. Jurjević, could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers, with an emphasis on your education and professional background?

Jurjević: After completing the Police High School, alongside a twenty-year career in the protection of state officials, I continued my education, first in the field of criminology, followed by earning a master’s degree in Crisis Management. Over the course of seventeen years in close protection, I had the opportunity to provide security for heads of state from all G7 countries. I completed assignments in Croatia and abroad, including Russia, the United States, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, and numerous other countries. During that time, I progressed through all levels of responsibility, starting as a Close Protection Officer and eventually becoming Head of Security.

Analytics is unjustly overlooked, unlike close protection which is privileged and always seen front and center next to VIP individuals. Analysts are the ones doing the hardest job far from the public eye, they are the “eyes and ears” of close protection

a&s Middle East: You have had a long and demanding career in protecting high-ranking officials and delegations, including international guests. What are the key principles and methods when it comes to protecting such individuals, and how do they differ from standard security approaches?

Jurjević: There is a reason why close protection draws great attention and public interest. It’s a line of work that requires the highest level of skill, discipline, and decision-making capability. Perhaps the most challenging aspect is that in extreme situations, it is the close protection officers who take control and give instructions to some of the highest political authorities in the country or the world. It is not easy to say to your own or the American president, “Mr. President, you cannot do that, we need to leave.”

The Human-Tech Balance in Risk Assessment

a&s Middle East: When it comes to securing business entities and government institutions, how do you assess threats and risks? How important is the integration of physical security with advanced technical systems?

Jurjević: For a long time now, a multidisciplinary approach has been present in the field of security. In a given area, political developments create either a secure or insecure environment, which then leads to a stable or unstable economy, ultimately influencing the quality of life. The human factor remains the most important, but we must highlight the benefits provided by technology, which we rely on and which is inevitable. I am confident that it will take on an increasingly significant role in the security sector.

a&s Middle East: In your experience so far, how crucial has cooperation with domestic and foreign security agencies been? Can you share an example where that coordination was vital to the success of an operation?

Jurjević: In terms of close protection, cooperation with security agencies is a basic prerequisite for a successful operation. I have previously commented in the media on the arrival of state officials, for example, in Ukraine during the war, and especially during the visit of the American president Biden. Such a security operation demands maximum effort and the highest level of cooperation between American and Ukrainian intelligence services.

Close protection is a line of work that requires the highest level of skill, discipline, and decision-making capability. Perhaps the most challenging aspect is that in extreme situations, it is the close protection officers who take control and give instructions to some of the highest political authorities

a&s Middle East: Today, physical security includes much more than just cameras and sensors. What are the most effective security systems you use, especially in dynamic environments with changing risk levels, such as public gatherings?

Jurjević: The concept is roughly the same in all countries: security services conduct assessments, and close protection carries out the task. Risk assessment, analysis of social media, and other public sources are crucial. The influence of artificial intelligence, particularly in recognizing faces and movement, is increasingly being utilized. However, the human factor remains the most important, and I believe that, despite incredible technological developments, it will never change.

Match between Croatia and France, Nations League, 2022

a&s Middle East: Mobile security systems are a crucial tool for use in temporary or rapidly changing locations. What are the main challenges in their implementation and integration with existing infrastructure?

Jurjević: The biggest challenges include a lack of stable internet or power supply, difficult integration with existing systems, and the need for fast deployment in changing environments.

a&s Middle East: When preparing the most complex security operations, how much do you rely today on analytics, artificial intelligence, and modern security tools?

Jurjević: Analytics is unjustly overlooked, unlike close protection, which is privileged and always seen front and center next to VIP individuals. Analysts are the ones doing the hardest job, far from the public eye; they are the “eyes and ears” of close protection. AI is just an additional and valuable tool used by analytics.

a&s Middle East: How important is the role of a centralized command center in managing complex security operations? Could you give us an illustrative example, such as the security management during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar?

Jurjević: In any security operation, a clearly and precisely structured hierarchy is a prerequisite for success. The FIFA World Cup in Qatar was under much scrutiny. First, due to sports reasons, it was the first World Cup held in winter. Second, due to a combination of religious restrictions and the still-present threat of a pandemic.

From an organizational perspective, I was personally impressed by the World Cup and would like to congratulate everyone who worked on it. The players and fans shared the same feeling because everything was close and accessible.

A New Crowd Management Tool in Action

a&s Middle East: One of the biggest concerts in European history was recently held in Zagreb – the Marko Perković Thompson concert. What were the key security measures you implemented for this event, and what were the main challenges?

Jurjević: The very fact that half a million people attended the concert was the greatest security challenge, especially considering that we had never encountered anything of this scale before. A key role was played by the MPT mobile application, developed by the organizer, who is also the owner of the Croatian IT company Stack Wizard. In collaboration with them, we created an excellent crowd management tool that greatly assisted all involved parties, police, emergency services, and healthcare teams by providing real-time insight into the movement and health profiles of attendees across both the inner and outer zones of the concert venue. This was a perfect example of synergy between human expertise and technology.

Through the application, we were able to gather critical data, including the number of people attending, their origin, mode of transportation, any medical conditions they had, and more.

Most importantly, the app provided a live heat map showing crowd movement before, during, and after the concert, which allowed us to respond quickly and effectively to any potential risk.

a&s Middle East: Were there any incidents during the concert in Zagreb, and if not, what specifically contributed to that outcome? How much of it was due to preparation, and how much to operational discipline on the ground?

Jurjević: Our greatest advantage was that we understood the mentality of the audience attending this concert. There have never been any incidents at such events before. Statistically, with such a large number of people, health-related issues are to be expected. But through an innovative approach in organizing the concert space and dividing it into sectors, we ensured that emergency services could reach any person within five minutes. In the end, the concert concluded without any serious health issues, although there were around 1,000 minor medical interventions.

a&s Middle East: As the Head of the Department for Prevention, Security and Integrity of the Croatian Football Federation, what are the key security elements in planning the protection of major sports events, such as international matches or high-risk derbies?

Jurjević: Football sparks a unique passion, I dare say it’s the same across all continents. The cooperation between the football federation, clubs, and state institutions is key. Since clubs have the greatest influence on supporters, we developed a protocol with clearly defined rules to ensure that high-risk matches are held under safe conditions, and so far, we are on the right path.

a&s Middle East: How do you assess the risk of potential clashes between supporter groups? What preventive measures are put in place?

Jurjević: We work closely with the police, who play a leading role in monitoring supporter groups, analyzing potential threats, and implementing preventive measures to avoid conflict. However, as I’ve emphasized before, the main responsibility lies with the football clubs themselves. They have the greatest influence on their fans, and we actively encourage them to take ownership of that role. For example, the two biggest football clubs in Croatia together have over two million followers on social media and nearly 200,000 registered members. When you compare that to Croatia’s total population of 3.8 million, it becomes clear just how significant their impact is.

Tursko-sirijska granica, 2016.

a&s Middle East: Has the use of biometric identification or electronic ticketing contributed to increased safety at sporting events? How do you prevent individuals under stadium bans from entering?

Jurjević: Yes, significantly. In addition to improving safety, biometric identification and electronic ticketing also enhance the overall value of sporting and other large-scale events from a multidisciplinary perspective. These systems provide clearer insights into the habits and preferences of attendees, which benefits not only security operations but also marketing and other branches of the industry.

Croatia has one of the most rigorous legal frameworks in this area. Nevertheless, we have not yet achieved the results we are aiming for. Other European countries are facing similar challenges. However, with the introduction of new technologies, especially AI tools and advanced video surveillance we are already seeing better results than before.

Croatian Prime Minister Senader and U.S. President Bush, 2009

a&s Middle East: When organizing events attended by tens of thousands of people, cooperation with police, fire departments, and emergency services is essential. What does this coordination look like? How early do preparations begin, and how is communication managed during the event itself?

Jurjević: Preparations begin as soon as we receive the first indication that such an event might take place. From that moment on, the entire system is elevated to a heightened state of readiness. Earlier I mentioned that analytics is often unjustly overlooked in the protection of state officials, then in the case of large-scale events, that role is played by logistics. At the concert you referenced, nearly 5,000 private security staff were engaged, along with more than 1,000 emergency service personnel and over 6,000 police officers. In total, we’re talking about 12,000 people working together over nearly 24 hours. Planning and preparation are vital, but it is logistics that play the key role in “protecting those who protect us.”

For example, after recently organizing the world’s largest ticketed concert, we realized that some aspects could have been handled better. In practice, emergency services already work closely together on a daily basis, whether responding to criminal incidents or traffic accidents, police, emergency medical teams, and firefighters act as a unified force.

However, since we brought in additional teams from other cities for the concert, we later recognized that we had unnecessarily assigned police officers, emergency responders, and firefighters from the same city to different operational zones. Although the event was a complete success, there is always room for improvement and learning.