The German football league (DFL) and clubs from the top two tiers yesterday agreed on a tighter set of security measures after a sharp rise in violence and pressure from politicians to act.

The DFL and the 36 clubs from the top two leagues voted in favour of tougher stadium checks, increased crackdown on flares and smoke bombs and tougher sanctions, video monitoring, and better-trained security staff.

“Professional football is coming out as a winner today,” DFL President Reinhard Rauball told reporters.

“All 16 points were accepted with a wide majority. Germany’s football culture is not threatened by this.

“It is good news that the DFL is in a position to make its own homework,” said Rauball, relieved to have avoided an intervention from politics after Germany’s interior ministry had urged the DFL to act.

Many fans, some 500 of whom had peacefully demonstrated outside the Frankfurt hotel where the meeting took place, have accused the DFL of spoiling their football experience and having had little input in drafting the concept.

The concept, which also includes home teams reducing or providing no tickets to away spectators at high-risk games, has triggered weeks of protests among fans.

They remained silent for the first 12 minutes of every Bundesliga game in the past two weeks, chanted against the plan and pledged more protests even after the vote.

German football is struggling to contain violence with 2011-12 season figures released last month hitting a 12-year-high despite a financial boom and the world’s highest average match attendance.