Pyro attacks, Hitler salute and sheer fan hate: Eintracht Frankfurt’s joy at the first Champions League victory in the club’s history is significantly clouded by what is happening in the stands. Now there is a severe penalty.
Shortly after the final whistle of this historic and – in the most negative sense – memorable football game, the sad spectacle in the stands of the Stade Velodrome really got going again late Tuesday evening. The fans of Eintracht Frankfurt and Olympique Marseille shot each other with fireworks, supporters of the hosts masked themselves and stood in front of the unreachable block of the guests. This negative ending was acoustically accompanied by the thunderbolts that were fired throughout the game. boom
“We were not familiar with the level of aggression that we were faced with in this form and mass. It was very strange and does not give us any real joy,” said Eintracht board member Philipp Reschke, summing up Eintracht’s emotional state. In Reschke’s opinion, the Frankfurt Annex were thrown at and shot at much more heavily with rockets and firecrackers than vice versa: “The ratio was more 15:1 than 10:1.” The Hessians had previously had the top French team from Marseille defeated 1-0 thanks to a goal by Jesper Lindström (43rd). and thus achieved the first premier class success in the club’s history. However, the riots dampened the mood considerably.
OM fans attack Frankfurt Annex
But what actually happened? After there had already been minor friction and a total of eight arrests in the city on Tuesday night, the atmosphere around the impressive stadium became increasingly heated in the hours before the game. From the early afternoon, the streets in front of the Velodrome were more reminiscent of New Year’s Eve than a normal working day. Pyrotechnics were burned off and firecrackers ignited again and again, the main entrance was enveloped in dense clouds of smoke.
With big games, as assured by several eyewitnesses who are familiar with the area, this is always the case in this equally beautiful and robust Mediterranean metropolis. At the latest when the shuttle buses filled with Frankfurt fans arrived, the rituals of the OM supporters finally had nothing to do with a normal football game.
The buses were pelted with objects and attacked with rockets. As soon as the stadium gates opened, the attacks shifted to the stands. “It’s extraordinary the circumstances under which a football game takes place here. We didn’t think that was possible,” said Reschke. Even after the final whistle, the clashes continued. OM fans threw stones at several buses that the local authorities used to take the Eintracht fans out of the stadium, and numerous windows broke.
Seriously injured fan in hospital
The sad balance after the game: several injuries on both sides, a seriously injured Frankfurt fan in the hospital. For this reason, there were no cheers for Eintracht in the first half after the trailer that had been hit by a rocket had been transported away, only with the first all-clear at the beginning of the second round were songs started again. “The fan is stable and out of danger,” said Reschke. The shock of the experience was nevertheless noticeable to all those involved. “It was the feared state of emergency, possibly even beyond.”
The whole truth, however, also includes the fact that the Frankfurt annex also presented its ugly side. The Frankfurt fans, whose anticipation of the first premier class away trip had been put to the test by all sorts of restrictions and bans imposed by the French police, reacted to the provocations and attacks with counter-provocations and counter-attacks. Rockets also flew from the guest block, and there were the usual threatening gestures from the guest block as well. The fact that two fans repeatedly showed the Hitler salute in the direction of the Olympique curve cannot be excused.
The club distanced itself from the incident in a statement during the game, but the reputation of the fan scene could be damaged in the long term. The two people responsible, one of whom volunteered and tried to acquit himself of right-wing ideas, must therefore expect the consequences. “We’re checking that,” Reschke announced. “People like that have no place in the Eintracht family.” For two fans, the trip to Marseille could have been the last for the time being.
Eintracht threatens ghost game
However, after the chaos evening in Marseille, it is more questionable than ever how many Eintracht Frankfurt Champions League games there will be with fans in the stands. One thing is clear: The Hessians played on probation after several pyro offenses and the space storm after the semifinals against West Ham. That should be over now. Means: Eintracht is threatened with at least one fan exclusion, in the worst case even a complete ghost game. “I’m more afraid of a penalty for an away game, but I can’t rule out that a home game will also be affected,” said Reschke.
So the happy European football festivals are over. This night in Marseille will keep Eintracht busy for a long time.
