Fan violence victim Nivel to attend Germany's friendly in France
German football leaders will meet with former French policeman Daniel Nivel, who was critically injured by German fans in riots at the 1998 World Cup, around Saturday's friendly international between the two countries.
The German Football Federation (DFB) said on Thursday that it and the French body FFF have invited Nivel and his family to attend the match in Lyon.
Nivel was attacked when German fans rioted in the French city of Lens ahead of a World Cup match against Yugoslavia in June 1998.
He was in a coma for six weeks and was left with permanent disability in his speech and movement. Five attackers were sentenced to prison terms between 10 and 3.5 years by French and German courts.
"I am very moved to see Daniel Nivel and his family again in Lyon. I am deeply impressed by how the family has dealt with their fate and also by the fact that they have accepted our help and the hand we have extended," DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said.
"Forgiving and forgiving are signs of greatness, our mission is to ensure that this does not lead to forgetting.
"The attack on Daniel Nivel is one of the darkest moments in our history - it is our duty to keep the memory of it alive and to do everything we can to minimise the risk of similar crimes in the future."
Nivel has been invited to several Germany games in the past and the DFB also set up a foundation in his name to fight football violence and support victims.
Neuendorf said the Daniel Nivel Foundation will now be included in the DFB's Egidius Braun Foundation, and that it will continue to fund it. It said the French federation will also be involved in some projects.
