"This is not your average neo-Nazi group. They don't act suddenly. Their strategy is to grow, so when a leader they can support emerges, they can protect him," says Alexander Ritzmann. "That's why I call them a 'shadow militia'. Because they want to show the authorities that they are just racists who play sports. The background, however, is completely different," he says. Alexander Ritzmann has been researching extremism for several years at the American organization Counter Extremism Project. In his research, Active Clubs have made an impression on him in recent years, while branches have spread from the United States to Europe.