Eintracht Frankfurt has commented for the first time on the police searches on Tuesday in the homes of several dozen people who are said to have taken part in the riots in November before the Bundesliga game at home against VfB Stuttgart. The “suggestions for imposing nationwide stadium bans” in 36 cases, which were sent to the club during the course of Tuesday afternoon, are currently being investigated as part of a “detailed overview,” board member Philipp Reschke replied to a query from the FAZ on Friday
Eintracht was informed of the matter “shortly before” the police press release was published. “With regard to the house searches, based on everything we have read and heard in the past two days, the main question that arises is whether such a concerted measure would be carried out by people who were all identified beyond doubt in the letters of suggestion for the stadium bans ‘ is still necessary at all,” said Reschke.
He added that it was inconclusive to him that the people’s homes were searched by up to 300 emergency services, although the police, as they stated in their written information to Eintracht, considered their perpetrators to be clearly proven. “But if such a measure is not necessary, it is unlikely to be proportionate. Or it is based on other reasons that we do not know. Or has another purpose,” stated Reschke.
“Aware of responsibility”
The suggestions were “precisely formulated” and described the allegations “individually and in detail,” said Reschke. This means that Eintracht needs to “look at each individual case very closely and then determine the next steps. “This is a difficult matter, especially with criminal proceedings running in parallel, which we have to deal with seriously,” said the board member.
Consequential: The riot at Eintracht’s November game against Stuttgart still has an impact today. : Image: IMAGO/Jan Huebner
Reschke emphasized that Eintracht is “aware of its responsibility”: “But this is not just limited to the repeatedly expressed distancing from violence and the condemnation of crimes or the initiation of stadium ban proceedings against fans, but it also includes the protection of the Interests of our fans, followers and members.” A number of them were “innocently and uninvolvedly affected.”
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That’s why it is an absolutely necessary part and “the other side of the ‘reappraisal coin,'” as he called it, “that we come to a final, critical analysis that takes all aspects of the entire day into account, including the police operation.” The result of the operational review by the LKA Hessen (Hessian State Criminal Police Office, editor’s note) plays a role; it has not yet been published. After publication, Eintracht would compare it “with our findings”. “It is our responsibility to ensure that such escalations do not happen again,” said Reschke. “This makes it incumbent on us and all other institutions to clearly identify errors and omissions.”
