UEFA president Michel Platini was re-elected for a third term Tuesday after running unopposed, and his speech at the governing body's opening session of the UEFA Congress saw him call for action on extremism and hooliganism.
Platini was on the pitch at the 1989 European Cup final in Brussels, Belgium, where 39 supporters - the majority of whom were Italian - died when a wall collapsed because of rioting.
Nearly 26 years later, the former French international is concerned that such scenes could return.
"In recent months, we have all been struck by certain images that I thought were a thing of the past," Platini said, according to the Guardian.
"Some of us experienced that past at first hand. In my case, it was exactly 30 years ago ... nobody wants a repeat of such events. We need tougher stadium bans at European level and - I will say it again - the creation of a European sports police force."
The re-elected president went on to detail how UEFA are being left to fend for themselves with limited means before claiming that European football is being directly affected by a rising tide of nationalism.
"Europe is seeing a rise in nationalism and extremism the likes of which we have not witnessed for a very long time," Platini said. "This insidious trend can also be observed in our stadiums, as football is a reflection of society. Given its popularity, our sport is a barometer for ills of our continent. And that barometer is pointing to some worrying developments."