HOOLS & THUGS: GERMANY'S HOOLIGANS PART 3 OF 3 Football hooliganism in Germany has at times been linked to neo-Nazism. Leading up to the 1998 World Cup finals, German football hooligans were reputed to have one of the worst reputations in Europe, with fans of the German national team often being linked to far right groups. In June 1998, after a FIFA World Cup match in Lens, France, between Germany and Yugoslavia, a French policeman, Daniel Nivel, received massive head injuries when he was repeatedly kicked and hit with a weapon during violent clashes with German fans. Following the incident in Lens, German football hooligans were warned to stay away from Germany's next match in the tournament against Mexico in Montpellier. German police contacted many of the known 2,000+ German hooligans to warn them they would be arrested if they travelled to France. Police were concerned that neo-Nazi groups would try to cause trouble in Montpellier. As a result of the incident in Lens, France, a German fan was arrested in July 1998 and charged with attempted murder and causing serious injury. In November 1999, four more Germans were convicted for their part in the beating of the French policeman, who had suffered brain damage from the assault. The main defendant, Andre Zawacki, was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to ten years in jail. In June 2006, Germany beat Poland in a World Cup Finals match in Dortmund, a result that meant Germany qualified for the second round in the finals. The match was marred by violent clashes between German and Polish fans. The police detained over 300 people in Dortmund after clashes broke out prior to the match. German fans threw chairs, bottles and fireworks at the police as they tried to move fans out of the city centre. Smaller groups of German and Polish fans fought with each other in separate clashes. Of the 300 arrested, 120 were known hooligans.