The district derby between FC Schalke 04 and BVB (2: 2) was largely peaceful from the police point of view on Saturday. However, there was a violent outbreak of violence in the run-up, in which an ear was even bitten off.
As the Federal Police Headquarters in Sankt Augustin and the Federal Police Inspectorate in Dortmund explained in a joint press release, there was a physical altercation between several people at Essen Central Station on Saturday afternoon prior to the explosive Bundesliga game between FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund.
The officials should have separated four participants on the platform. According to witnesses, there had already been a serious argument on the regional express from Mühlheim an der Ruhr to Essen. A 44-year-old from Mönchengladbach is said to have bitten a 41-year-old from Gelsenkirchen in the ear and torn off the earlobe.
The alleged perpetrator stated that the 41-year-old hit him first. The ear bite was also an accident. This did not happen intentionally.
Two people injured by pyrotechnics at FC Schalke 04 vs. BVB
The 44-year-old, who, according to the police, was on his way to the Schalke derby against BVB, was alcoholized at 1.2 per mille according to a breath alcohol test.
Because of this and the seriousness of the crime, a judge ordered the detention to prevent further crimes. Federal police officers took him into the custody of the Essen police. This also initiated a preliminary investigation into dangerous bodily harm.
Apart from this attack, which was as painful as it was brutal, the derby remained largely peaceful. The federal police spoke of a “quiet course”.
The Gelsenkirchen police only reported two victims of pyrotechnics in the Veltins Arena. A woman was injured in the Schalke north curve. In addition, the jacket of a photographer posted at the corner flag was damaged. The police initiated criminal proceedings.