The Frankfurters around Sebastian Rode were also shocked by the behavior of their own fans in Marseille.
Photo: imago/Eibner
Michael Brehl’s interview, which he gave to Eintracht Frankfurt club media before this Wednesday’s home game in the Champions League against Olympique Marseille, is spreading like wildfire on social networks. The Frankfurt fan from Friedrichsdorf is still in hospital after narrowly escaping death in the first leg in Marseille when a flare pierced his body. The 65-year-old has had several operations and also sought psychological help. The alleged perpetrator has since been charged with murder but is still at large.
The events make it clear how dangerous pyrotechnics can be. “The impact on the neck happened so quickly, even raising my hand didn’t help. When I fell, I noticed that I was paralyzed on one side,” says Brehl. If, as initially suspected, the carotid artery had been affected, he would hardly have survived. On September 13, Eintracht President Peter Fischer, who was shocked like many others, spoke of “conditions similar to civil war”.
The mutual bombardment with rockets and firecrackers, enthusiastically applauded by both fan camps, thwarted everything that constitutes fan culture. It was also inexcusable that a Hitler salute was also shown from Eintracht ranks. With Djibril Sow, one of the Frankfurt spokesmen found clear words on Tuesday: “It was a shock for all players. There were criminals on both sides at work, I don’t want to experience that again,” said the Swiss international, who is now hoping for an “electrifying atmosphere” that doesn’t cross borders.
It is astonishing that the game is played in front of a full ranks in the city forest. Uefa again refrained from punishing the Europa League winner, who is actually playing on probation after the pitch storm in the semifinals against West Ham United. But the next time you miss, ghost games are inevitable. So the second leg against the French runners-up becomes a double tightrope act: If the Hessians want to hibernate in the European Cup, they should win.
They’re in good form, as last weekend’s Bundesliga win at Borussia Mönchengladbach showed. The “four musketeers” in particular are a lot of fun. The assertive discovery Randal Kolo Muani, the lately so powerful Irrwisch Jesper Lindström, the fine threader Daichi Kamada and the noble technician Mario Götze, who is still quietly hoping for World Cup participation, guarantee good entertainment on the offensive. Coach Oliver Glasner overlooks the fact that without the injured veteran Makoto Hasebe, the defense sometimes shakes badly, which also has to do without the suspended Tuta. “We’re used to having to convert the back,” Glasner assured. With a win in the last group game at Sporting Lisbon, his team would still have it in their own hands to reach the round of 16.
But it would be more important for further atmospheric European Cup nights that everything is peaceful in Frankfurt now. Verbal disarmament can only help in advance. Brehl, who is presumably handicapped for the rest of his life, plays a key role when he publicly asserts: »I have no anger or anger towards anyone. Eintracht Frankfurt has an attitude: we forgive, we are tolerant, we have no desire for revenge.« Does his appeal help? The leading ultra groups have not announced anything so far. Fan experts like Michael Gabriel have recently expressed concern because the violence threshold has generally fallen among the Ultras.
The head of the supervisory board, Philip Holzer, relies on the work of the executive when it comes to the specific security measures. “I’m sure everyone involved will do what is necessary to be prepared accordingly.” It was shocking to him that the authorities in Marseille had apparently surrendered to the violent fan scene, which was made up of many disaffected young people with North African roots. “For me, it was once again clear that the French state in particular has written off parts of its society,” said Holzer. »God help us that we are not experiencing the same development in Germany.«
