Overview

• Degenek criticised the heavy police presence at recent A-League matches as counterproductive, saying it narrows fan movement and heightens tension
• The Socceroos defender advocates reintroducing flares to recreate the passionate atmosphere he experienced playing in Serbia and to boost player adrenaline
• More than 50,000 spectators are expected at Optus Stadium for the qualifier, where a Socceroos victory would all but secure their place at the 2026 World Cup
• Football Australia currently enforces a strict ban on flares and pyrotechnics, with offenders facing lengthy stadium bans
• Melbourne Victory chairman John Dovaston and managing director Caroline Carnegie described the riot police deployment at the A-League grand final as disproportionate and intimidating for families