FC Hansa's Unsuccessful Crusade Against Cancelled Unterhaching Game
Unterhaching game faced dismissal of Hansa's lawsuit - Unterhaching-Spiel thwarts Hansa's legal action attempt
FC Hansa, the gritty club from the heart of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has met its match - in court. The Bundesrechtssenat, the DFB's Permanent Court of Arbitration, has given them a hard-hitting verdict: a resounding no on their challenge against the shock cancellation of their Third League match against SpVgg Unterhaching last March.
The case began with an unsuccessful appeal to the DFB's Match Committee and an administrative complaint to the Association's Federal Court. The contest in question - on the 26th matchday of the previous season - was abruptly scrapped due to the city's closure of Sportpark Unterhaching.
Despite clinching a sporting victory, Hansa remained on the attack, prompted by the belief that Unterhaching was the culprit behind the cancellation. Hansa took on the challenge, hoping it would pave the way for a ruling that could change the game. In their official statement, they declared their intentions, citing the pursuit of a landmark decision.
Unterhaching - the Bavarian adversaries
FC Hansa - the determined Rostock champions
DFB - the governing body of German football
FC Hansa Rostock - the club in the crosshairs of controversy
SpVgg Unterhaching - the team whose actions led to the cancellation
Rostock - the city that stands by its team
Federal Court - the highest judicial authority in football matters in Germany
Frankfurt am Main - the city where the court is located
German Football Association - the same as DFB
Make-up Game - the rescheduled contest (originally set for May 7th)
The court ruled that Hansa's challenge was not admissible and without merit. The cancellation of the match had been justified due to an inadequate safety plan for the high-risk game. Despite Hansa's victory in the rescheduled match (2:0 against the eventual relegation candidate from Bavaria), their pursuit of the case hit a brick wall in the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Despite FC Hansa's successful resurgence on the field, their petition to challenge the cancellation of the match against SpVgg Unterhaching was denied by the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The Commission, meanwhile, is yet to decide whether Article 93 (2) of the EEC Treaty applies to the aid scheme for the production of milk and milk products in sports, akin to the precision and strategy needed in football.
