The DFB sports court has sentenced second division football team Hansa Rostock to a fine totaling 238,000 euros. The association punished four incidents in which Hansa supporters caused trouble. FC Hansa can use up to 79,400 euros for security or violence prevention measures.
The meeting, chaired by Stephan Oberholz, chairman of the DFB sports court, discussed events from the past year: the Rostock DFB Cup game against 1. FC Nürnberg on November 1st and the second division games against FC St. Pauli on November 25th. November, FC Schalke 04 on December 10th and SC Paderborn on December 15th.
In Nuremberg, Rostock spectators burned around 80 pyrotechnic objects, some of which were thrown into the interior. These include Bengali fires, rockets, firecrackers, smoke pots and blinkers. They also set fire to the toilet facility, causing significant damage to property. A fine of 60,000 euros was imposed for this, with a penalty reduction of 20,000 euros for security or violence prevention measures.
Choreography with a reference to the sunflower house causes outrage
In the game against St. Pauli, Hansa supporters showed prefabricated buildings filled with fire and smoke with the sunflower house as part of a choreography using glowing and smoking torches. This created the visual impression that the well-known prefabricated building in the Lichtenhagen district was on fire. There was a wave of outrage online.
During racist attacks in Rostock-Lichtenhagen in 1992, the Sunflower House, a central reception center for asylum seekers, was set on fire by residents and neo-Nazis. The riots are considered to be the worst racist attacks in post-war German history.
In that game against St. Pauli, the Hansa supporters also lit a Bengal fire, a smoke flare and a firecracker and threw a large number of drinking cups into the interior. There was a fine of 20,000 euros with a discount of 6,700 euros.
Game against Schalke interrupted for half an hour
The game against Schalke 04 had to be interrupted for half an hour in the 38th minute after Schalke spectators used an emergency hammer to destroy the safety glass on the buffer block and break into it. Rostock supporters then gained unauthorized access to the buffer block, whereupon stewards and police officers intervened.
Both fan camps fired rockets at each other, with Rostock supporters setting off at least two rockets. At least two stewards, a police officer and two paramedics were injured, although it remained unclear whether they were injured by Rostock spectators. Later, a smoke pot was burned down in the Hansa block. There was a fine of 8,000 euros with a discount of 2,700 euros.
A fine of 150,000 euros for events in Paderborn alone
The game in Paderborn had to be interrupted twice due to the pyrotechnics used by Hansa supporters, some of which were fired towards the interior: in the 13th minute for nine minutes and in the 56th minute for around 19 minutes. In addition, there were significant violent clashes during the first half between around 80 to 100 Rostock supporters as well as the police and security services in the area of the guest entrance, with the Rostockers throwing, among other things, iron bars, tiles, building materials, fire extinguishers, fence elements and pyrotechnics towards the police and Security guards threw.
At least 13 stewards and 24 police officers were injured, as was a neutral spectator who was pushed down two rows in the block by a guest supporter shortly before the final whistle. In addition, Hansa supporters caused significant material damage amounting to 132,000 euros during the game in the area of the guest block, the catering stands and the sanitary facilities. The sports court imposed a fine of 150,000 euros with a penalty reduction of 50,000 euros for safety or violence prevention measures. The latter measures must be proven to the DFB by September 30, 2024.
