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Bundesliga fans protest against private equity investors

December 16, 2023

The decision by the German Football League to allow a private equity investor for the next two decades has sparked backlash from fans. In one incident, Hansa Rostock fans threw pyrotechnics, injuring police.

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Tennis balls and chocolate coins on the football pitch
Chocolate coins were thrown onto the pitch at many games across the Bundesliga in protestImage: Matthias Koch/IMAGO

Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 fans across the country protested on Friday and Saturday against the German Football League’s (DFL) decision to seek to bring in a strategic partner.

On December 11, 24 of 36 teams between the two divisions voted in favor of a plan to secure private equity investment in return for a share of TV rights over the next two decades.

Fans from all 36 teams announced they would remain silent for the first 12 minutes of their matches across the weekend, with multiple matches interrupted by further protests.

Union Berlin fans went on to throw tennis balls and chocolate coins on the pitch, forcing a short interruption of their match at VfL Bochum.

Striker Takuma Asano ate one of the chocolate coins during the cleanup, and went on to Bochum's opener shortly before the break.

Protests cause injuries, serious damage

Protests on Friday had a more serious outcome, with the game between second division sides Paderborn and Hansa Rostock interrupted after Rostock fans threw pyrotechnics onto the pitch.

Rostock fans and police officers were also injured, and there was an estimated damage of €100,000 ($109,085) reported by Paderborn.

"A total of eight stewards and 12 police officers suffered injuries, one policewoman had to be treated in the hospital for a cut," Paderborn and the police said in a joint statement.

Hertha fans stand holding a banner
The decision to allow private investment into the top two divisions of the Bundesliga has not been well-received by fansImage: Matthias Koch/IMAGO

"It's not enough to apologize and distance ourselves, there will be severe punishment. We will have to talk about clear consequences," Rostock CEO Robert Marien told the Bild newspaper on Saturday. 

Elsewhere on Friday, the start of the Bundesliga clash between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Werder Bremen was  delayed for five minutes after fans threw fake coins on the pitch. This came in addition to the 12 minutes of silence at the start of the match.

"It was no fun at all, it reminded me of the coronavirus," Bremen midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt said of the fans' silence, referring to the games played with no paying spectators during the pandemic.

The DFL have said they are aiming to boost its business model and international marketing with the income they will receive from the strategic partner, who will have no saying in sporting matters such as fixtures lists.

km/wd (AP, dpa)