In the aftermath of the disturbances at the fourth division match between Berlin’s «Dynamo» and «Cottbus Energy» on May 4th, 155 police officers were injured, according to a police spokesperson, APA reports citing the Bild.
The majority of the officers, 116 individuals, were affected by tear gas, 11 by pyrotechnics, and 28 as a result of attacks by fans. The Saturday game in Berlin had to be interrupted in the first half due to the home fans, who set fire to scarves and flags of «Cottbus» in their sector, and also threw stones at the visiting coach Klaus-Dieter Wollitz. Berlin fans may have done this in retaliation for a video showing similar actions by «Cottbus» fans a year earlier, the newspaper notes. The first game between the teams this season was also marred by disturbances, leading to an increased presence of law enforcement at the match.
The visiting coach Wollitz stated that he would not have come to the match against «Dynamo» if it had taken place in the middle of the season. «I am used to insults, especially here. But the idea of having to fear being pelted with stones during a game, of being threatened, is unimaginable to me in 2024», - he said. «Cottbus» won the match 2−0 and now leads the table with two rounds remaining, four points ahead of «Greifswald».
If they win the tournament, «Cottbus» will move up to the Third League. The incidents at the match have once again raised concerns about fan violence in German football, with authorities calling for stricter measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The German Football Association has announced that they will be investigating the events that took place during the match and will be taking appropriate action against those responsible for the violence.
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