Sports riots while traveling
The railway company no longer wants to transport fans of 1. FC Magdeburg
As of: 2:03 p.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes
When traveling by train with football fans, vandalized trains are not uncommon. The Odeg is now taking action. Supporters of 1. FC Magdeburg could be excluded from promotion in the future. The manager says he sees no other option.
Anyone who has ever sat on a regional train with football fans around an away game knows what it’s often like there: loud shouting, lots of alcohol, smeared walls, clogged toilets – all of this is not uncommon on regular journeys around Germany.
The East German Railway (Odeg) has now become the first operator to threaten harsh consequences for such misconduct. This specifically affects the fans of 1. FC Magdeburg. As the MDR reports, Odeg has announced that it will exclude supporters of the traditional East German club from promotion in the future. Odeg managing director Lars Gehrke sees no other way to consider the drastic measure.
Odeg managing director Lars Gehrke
Those: pa/dpa/Soeren Stache
The background was several incidents before and after football games involving the 1. FCM, most recently on April 21st before the game against Hansa Rostock. According to the train operator, fans of the 1st FCM probably vandalized Odeg trains and harassed uninvolved travelers.
Managing director Gehrke told MDR that they would report the incidents to the club, file a complaint against unknown persons and “hope that those responsible at 1. FCM will come forward.” Otherwise, it must be considered whether obvious fans with fan paraphernalia can be denied a ride. To date, however, no one from the football club’s management committee has contacted Odeg.
“By arranging a joint appointment”
Gehrke also criticized the Magdeburg football club for not taking such incidents seriously enough. For him, his apologies are just lip service: “Now action must follow, for example that the club provides people to accompany the fans on the trains.”
Noticeable on away trips: fans of 1. FC Magdeburg
Source: pa/dpa/Swen Pförtner
Another option could be to rent separate buses or trains for the fan groups, Gehrke explained. He hopes that the 1. FCM will finally take responsibility for the increasingly conspicuous groups. Gehrke emphasized that the club must stop trivializing these incidents by saying that they were allegedly individual travelers who were simply posing as fans.
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1. FC Magdeburg was astonished at the allegations. Spokesman Manuel Holscher told the broadcaster that he was unaware of the incidents before the game against Hansa Rostock. “We will sit down with the rail company representatives for fan trips and are currently arranging a joint date,” explained Holscher. After a similar incident in February, the club expressed its regret to the TAG24 portal, but pointed out that such crimes were arbitrary.
