Misjudgment of the club ?: Asamoah describes Schalke’s horror of violence


Misjudgment of the club?
Asamoah describes Schalke’s horror of violence

First the team of FC Schalke 04 is relegated, then they are attacked by the fans. First verbally, then physically. An unimaginable escalation of violence that nobody forgets so easily. But there are also allegations against the club.

Gerald Asamoah still doesn’t get the scenes from Tuesday night processed. The violence of some fans against the team of FC Schalke 04, who had previously been relegated to the 2nd Bundesliga after a bitter 1-0 defeat at Arminia Bielefeld, still bothered the club legend two days later. In a small group with selected journalists, from which Sport1 reports, among others, the 42-year-old said at lunchtime, apparently still very emotionally charged: “I’m still not feeling so well. I have different images in my head: An employee was lying down the ground and was kicked. “

It was an escalation of violence that Asamoah herself would never have believed possible. “We decided at the rest area with the coaching team and the captains that we would go there. I was convinced from the first minute that nothing would happen here. I know the fans. There were a lot of police there, that gave me security.” However, she initially stayed in the background and was not present when the fans and team met at the home arena. And that was probably at the express request of the club, as a police spokesman said. The officials only took action when the mood shifted. According to their own statements, they prevented a further escalation. After that, the situation quickly resolved.

Harit “pulled a bomb”

But what happened in the minutes in between is shocking. In a video that is circulating on the Internet, scenes of a hunt at the stadium can be seen. The video is verified. It actually comes from the night. It is only unclear which player (it is said to have been one) was actually followed by the angry mob. In an Instagram chat, which ntv.de is available but not verified, an alleged participant boasts that he “pulled a bomb” on the player Amine Harit, that is to say that he wants to have hit him hard. The police must now clarify exactly why the escalation occurred. Apparently things really started after an exploded firecracker.

A player who wants to remain anonymous described the moments of escalation to Sport1: “The fans then attacked us. From then on we just ran. That was fear, pure fear! I just ran. Some of us got kicks and received some blows. I’m shocked and don’t know how we can play the next games. ” There are still four games left this season. Then the complete rebuilding begins at Schalke. A lot of footballers will leave the club. And some, who may still have been undecided, will start pondering after this formative night. Asamoah once again describes how aggressive and determined the mood of the fans, which the police estimate at around 500 to 600, must have been: “Bujos (Note from the editor: assistant trainer Mike Büskens) I will not forget fear in the eyes. “

“… and then something else”

Sports director Peter Knäbel spoke the day after the riots. He called it “disastrous when you have to fear for the life and limb of our employees. What staff and players had to experience there has nothing to do with our mission statement. You always have the feeling that it can’t get any worse – and then comes.” something else.”

According to media reports, a player was later followed in the car while driving home. Followers are said to have been waiting for him in front of his apartment. He is said to have stayed elsewhere, Sport1 reported. In addition, according to the “Bild” newspaper, another professional’s car was demolished. There were also fist blows and bottles flew. Some players stayed at the hotel, reported the “WAZ”.

But could the escalation have been prevented? Apparently, as our reporter Uli Klose reports. According to this, the Schalke security service insisted on driving to their own stadium despite the most urgent warnings from police officers who knew the scene. A fatal misjudgment of the dangerous situation that had been recorded for them. Accordingly, the club already knew a few kilometers before arrival that fans had already forcibly gained access to the stadium area and had rioted there. The Schalke approach of de-escalation, a meeting between fans and the team without police, was another fatal misjudgment.

How does it go on now? The Gelsenkirchen police want to investigate the events on the night of relegation with an investigative commission. “It’s about clearing up the incidents completely,” said a police spokesman on Thursday. Criminal charges from possible victims have not yet been received.

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