“disaster” for the police
DFB determined after space storms unleashed fans
5/9/2022 3:53 p.m
The ecstasy is exuberant, hundreds of FC Schalke fans are celebrating the resurgence on the pitch, and Cologne supporters are also unleashed because of the European Cup entry. The police don’t like it at all. And the control committee of the DFB is now investigating.
According to the security authorities, the rushing of football fans after the games of 1. FC Köln and FC Schalke 04 could have had dramatic consequences. Above all, the boundless cheers in the arena in Gelsenkirchen presented the police with a major challenge. “This space storm could have ended in a catastrophe,” said Chief Police Director Peter Both. Both clubs face consequences. The control committee of the German Football Association has started investigations after the incidents on Saturday, as a DFB spokesman confirmed on Monday. The clubs were asked to comment.
According to current knowledge, 18 people were injured in Gelsenkirchen, nine of them seriously. Nobody is in mortal danger. “Thanks to the immediate and quick intervention of numerous police officers, it was possible to prevent worse things from happening here,” said Both. More than 2,000 fans crowded onto the field, and there were falls and injuries in the stands. Some victims were taken to the hospital.
“We hope that people will recover quickly and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” said a spokesman for FC Schalke. The crowds on the field have left their mark. The club said the lawn was over and no longer playable.
In Cologne, too, numerous spectators ran onto the grass after the final whistle to celebrate their team and to secure souvenirs, for example in the form of pieces of grass. The club confirmed that many safety precautions had been taken and that fans had also been appealed not to storm the interior. Additional fences had been put up and the visitors were to be kept away from it with announcements. There were no injuries in the stadium.