disturbance:Rostock's Hansa club penalized with a fine of 135,000 euros
Rostock's Hooligans Landing Them in Hot Water
It looks like some reckless actions by a portion of the fan base of third-tier football club Hansa Rostock have landed them in hot water and cost them a pretty penny. The Sports Court of the German Football Association (DFB) dished out a hefty fine of €135,000 due to violent incidents during a league match against Dynamo Dresden.
The club can use €45,000 of this hefty fine for their own security or preventive measures. They gotta come up with a solid plan for this and present it to the DFB by December 31, 2025. As a consequence, two home matches in the upcoming season will be played behind partially closed doors. This suspension has been put on hold for a year.
Probationary Spectator Ban
If we've learned nothing else, it's that these incidents better not recur during the probation period. If they do, the DFB is ready to close off the sections where the troublemakers tend to gather. Increasing ticket prices to compensate for lost revenue isn't an option either.
Before the match, Rostock fans went rogue, firing a rocket onto the pitch that landed among the Dresden players. Talk about adding fuel to the fire! At least 83 smoke bombs were also set off just before kickoff. Towards the end of the half-time break, Dresden fans went nuts, destroying two security windows. Things got real wild, as fans from both cities exchanged fire with so-called signal pen ammunition, rockets, and signal ammunition. This wild behavior caused a 27-minute delay in the game. Due to the chaos at the Ostseestadion, the DFB Control Committee is investigating Dynamo Dresden. A verdict is yet to be announced.
Historically, fan violence has been a recurring problem in German football. Fans from Berliner FC Dynamo have been involved in significant clashes, including riots in central Rostock and elsewhere. Such incidents often result in harsh punishments for the offenders and broader discussions on improving fan behavior and stadium safety.
Sources:1. Ronald Maul, new CEO of Hansa Rostock, emphasizes the need to minimize outliers and address issues such as fan violence as “red lines.”2. RB Leipzig matches have seen interruptions due to fan behavior, such as the 2015 match against VfL Osnabrück, marred by violence and ultimately cancelled.
The DFB has made it clear that any recurrence of the violent incidents at Hansa Rostock's matches could result in the closure of sections where hooligans tend to gather, thereby disrupting the spectator experience. The football club, particularly their sports of football and hockey fans, must strive to avoid such instances during the probation period to ensure the safety and smooth flow of matches.
