27th Bundesliga matchday
Bochum (dpa) – After the game was stopped, goalkeeper Manuel Riemann and his colleagues trudged down the stairs to the cabins, pissed off.
The cup throwing scandal and the sudden end of the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach caused horror at VfL Bochum. “It’s embarrassing and unacceptable,” said assistant coach Markus Gellhaus later.
In the 68th minute, assistant referee Christian Gittelmann was hit in the head by a drink cup thrown from a stand with mainly Bochum fans. Referee Benjamin Cortus then immediately stopped the game. The stadium announcer later announced that the game would be canceled. At this point it was 2-0 (0-0) for Gladbach – that’s how the game should be rated. It was the same in April 2011 after a similar incident between FC St. Pauli and FC Schalke 04.
“Unapologetic”
There was “no excuse for such an action” and the abandonment of the game “completely understandable”, judged Gellhaus and gave an insight into the emotional life of his professionals: “Of course, the frustration of the players runs deep. Of course, they want to clarify that in the sporting competition. One would have something can be torn here, something can be taken away and then the game ends so abruptly.”
Gittelmann kept rubbing the painful area on his head. After the incident, the team of referees withdrew to the stadium’s catacombs. The Gladbach players followed shortly afterwards. Goalkeeper Riemann ran to the stands immediately after the break, yelled at the supporters and tried vigorously to influence them.
“First of all, we can only apologize in all forms for the incident,” said Bochum’s sports director Sebastian Schindzielorz on the DAZN streaming service. He wished Gittelmann, who was taken to a hospital for examinations after Bochum club donations, a speedy recovery and regretted what had happened. “Of course it’s very, very unfortunate: It’s the first time that we can play in front of 25,000 spectators again and the game doesn’t have a sporting outcome,” said the sporting director.
“It doesn’t make a good picture, you have to say that very clearly. That’s not right. It’s just annoying, you have to say that very clearly,” said Gladbach’s sports director Roland Virkus, who also wished Gittelmann a speedy recovery. “I think there must have been important reasons for stopping the game, otherwise the referees wouldn’t have made that decision,” said Gladbach’s assistant coach Christian Peintinger.
Announcements do not work
With announcements, the stadium announcer had repeatedly pointed out that the spectators should refrain from throwing objects. It didn’t work. “You’re not just hurting yourself, you’re hurting others and you’re hurting our club,” said the stadium announcer. At first the fans of both clubs sang, the longer the interruption lasted, the quieter it became in the stadium. “It is natural to assume that the game will be counted against us,” said Gellhaus.
In front of 25,000 spectators in the Ruhrstadion, Alassane Pléa and Breel Embolo (61st) scored the goals for the guests in the 55th minute. When the demolition was certain, the Gladbachers went to their fans in the guest corner and said goodbye to their supporters with applause before going back to their dressing room.
Even before kick-off, the game caused a curiosity: both teams were coached by their assistant coaches. Gladbach coach Adi Hütter and his Bochum colleague Thomas Reis were absent due to corona infections. Hütter was represented on the sidelines by Christian Peintinger, while Markus Gellhaus was responsible for Bochum.
Borussia recently celebrated an important 2-0 home win against Hertha BSC in the fight against relegation. However, Borussia started erratically and produced too many bad passes due to inaccurate play to put Bochum under pressure. Rather, a fighting game developed in which both teams gave nothing in terms of intensity and commitment. Goal scenes remained rare. Bochum’s Armel Bella-Kotchap (37′) had the best chance of scoring in the first 45 minutes, and his header was saved by Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer with a great reflex.
The hosts, who had recently lost 2-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt, started the second half with another great chance. Sebastian Polter shot on goal from close range after a sharp cross from the left, but again the Swiss summer was the end of the line with a brilliant save.
In the heated game it was Borussia who took the lead. After a corner from Luca Netz, Plea was completely free in the penalty area in the 55th minute and volleyed the ball into the Bochum goal with the inside. Just six minutes later, Embolo completed a counterattack to make it 2-0 for Gladbach. Then there was a scandal: a filled cup was thrown from the Bochum Tribune and hit Gittelmann in the head. Referee Benjamin Cortus then immediately interrupted the game – after a good quarter of an hour the game was then stopped.