Over 200 injured, far too much blood and recriminations
The riots at Eintracht Frankfurt's match against VfB Stuttgart have a lasting effect. Fans and police together complain of over 200 injuries. The parties are irreconcilably opposed to each other. The club speaks out and Green Party leader Omnipur demands clarification, including from the police.
After the serious riots in the Frankfurt stadium, the conflict between police and fans continues verbally and with mutual recriminations. After the bloody riots in the Bundesliga match against VfB Stuttgart, which left over 200 injured, there is not much time to come to terms with the situation, as the next direct clash will take place on Thursday (9pm) in the Conference League match against PAOK Thessaloniki.
"We will keep a very close eye on the involvement of those involved. Each and every one of us shares responsibility for ensuring that we have a safe, peaceful and, above all, successful evening of soccer," said Frankfurt's responsible board member Philipp Reschke in a statement issued by the club on Monday evening.
Police chief Stefan Müller had previously said at a specially convened press conference: "At the same time, we are of course preparing for the match next Thursday. We will approach the game with the necessary professionalism, with composure. But we also expect the same from the problem fans." It is a "Frankfurt problem that has nothing to do with special events at other league locations." Both the police and security services as well as the fans reported over 100 injuries following the escalation of violence at the weekend.
"We've never had so much blood"
At the press conference, the police showed video evidence that was not supposed to be filmed and streamed. Müller referred to the seriousness of the situation. "I was very shocked by the images. Such an excess of violence is unacceptable," said the President. He referred to the barriers and fire extinguishers thrown by the opposing side and rejected the severe criticism of a "completely excessive" police operation by the fans.
They had spoken out again on Monday and referred to enormous brutality. "I've never experienced anything like it, and I've been going to soccer for a very long time. I was there live and experienced it. I was shocked. A lot of people were shocked. We've never had so much blood and so many problem cases", said Ina Kobuschinski, spokesperson for the Frankfurt fan charity "Der 13. Mann", to the German Press Agency. "Going in like that was simply disproportionate and terrible," she added.
A special police commission with around 50 members of staff has taken up the investigation. Among other things, it is investigating an assault on law enforcement officers, as the Frankfurt police announced late on Sunday evening. The police officers called in by the security service were massively attacked by Eintracht fans when they arrived on the scene, it said.
"Renewed escalation is the culmination of a devastating development"
According to Eintracht board member Philipp Reschke, there is "different information and different opinions" about the cause of the riots. However, the incidents are in any case "inexcusable and will keep us busy for a long time in dealing with them and the consequences", Reschke is quoted as saying in the statement. "We will carefully evaluate the findings and eyewitness reports that reach us and classify them accordingly." Meanwhile, police officers are also to be investigated, according to senior public prosecutor Michael Loer.
The umbrella organization of fan support groups complained of increasing police assaults against soccer fans. It is also calling for a ban on pepper sprays in German stadiums. "Instead of showing the supposedly hard edge in preparation for the European Championship 2024 in their own country, the police should focus on communication and de-escalation with the fans," reads a press release issued by the nationwide Fanhilfen association on Monday. The "renewed escalation" is "the next highlight in a devastating development that has been looming for months".
Omnipur demands reappraisal
Although the police are calling for calm ahead of the clash on Thursday, they want to continue to take consistent action. "There is no claim to a lawless area. The Frankfurt police will not allow such a thing", Müller made clear with a view to the future. The match against Stuttgart (1:2) had been declared a high-risk match in advance. The Chief of Police added: "The violence is in stark disproportion to the occasion. There was obviously a discharge that may have built up over several months." This was also caused by alcohol.
Green Party leader Omid Nouripour, himself a big Eintracht fan, commented on Monday via X: "General suspicion against the police is unacceptable. At the same time, a three-digit number of injuries at a soccer match is an urgent reason to investigate."
Despite the ongoing verbal confrontations and recriminations between fans and police, Eintracht Frankfurt prepares for their Conference League match against PAOK Thessaloniki on Thursday, aware of the need for a peaceful and successful soccer event. Following the violent clashes between fans and police during the Bundesliga match against VfB Stuttgart, the Green Party leader Omid Nouripour calls for a thorough investigation into the incidents.
Source: www.ntv.de
