Third division soccer team Rot-Weiss Essen defeated Erzgebirge Aue 2-1. But after the final whistle, a different situation dominated the headlines.
Everything was actually set up for a big fan party on Hafenstrasse. Red and white food has against Erzgebirge Aue clinched their first win of the season on Friday evening and won the game 2-1 (1-0) in front of 16,070 spectators. But a few minutes after the final whistle, hardly anyone was talking about what was happening on the pitch, but about a different situation.
What happened? The team made their way towards the west curve, but then stopped in front of the sixteen. Instead of making the obligatory “wave” with the fans and celebrating the victory extensively, the players ran on to the Rahn grandstand and then disappeared into the catacombs. Displeasure and incomprehension spread in the Essen fan camp and the team earned loud whistles. The reason for this action was violent clashes between individual RWE fan groups at a motorway service area after the game in Bayreuth. The crew was at the same rest area at the time and was an eyewitness.
If it came across that the players wanted to punish the fans, then as the CEO of Rot-Weiss Essen I would say – Sorry! It wasn’t meant that way.
Marcus Uhlig.
RWE-Boss Marcus Uhlig commented on the events after the 2-1 win against Aue: “It’s just a shitty situation. We already issued a statement this week and formulated what we think of it. The team happened to be standing with the bus at this rest area It does something to you It’s not normal for a professional football team to witness an attack by one fan group against another fan group of their own club after an away game.
What happened now? We finally got the first three and then experienced quite a lot of incomprehension as to why the team didn’t celebrate properly. If it came across that the players wanted to punish the fans, then as the CEO of Rot-Weiss Essen I would say – Sorry! It wasn’t meant that way. This reaction was not ordered from above, it was a need of the team that you can’t just go back to business as usual. Nobody should be penalized for that. After a few minutes, the team went back to the fans and engaged in dialogue.”
We have to deal with such shit topics far too often. That makes me puke! We wanted to send a message but still not punish everyone else.
The RWE boss takes a stand.
The 51-year-old Uhlig was annoyed that after the first three of the season the focus was not on the sporting aspect: “We have to deal with such shitty topics far too often. It pisses me off! We wanted to send a message, but everyone else anyway don’t punish. The wrong people shouldn’t be punished. That’s a very fine line to walk. I have the utmost respect for the team.”
