The game between Hertha BSC and Hamburger SV is used by supporters in the stands to protest. At times, however, even abandoning the game is up for debate.
The fan protest that has been going on for weeks has reached a temporary climax in the top game of the 2nd Bundesliga: The duel between Hertha BSC and Hamburger SV had to be interrupted for a good 30 minutes on Saturday evening after tennis balls continually flew from the stands onto the field. Referee Daniel Schlager sent the teams off the field when the score was 0-0 after 75 minutes – the game had only been played until the 53rd minute. At times it even seemed possible that the game could be canceled completely.
From this point on, hundreds of tennis balls were thrown from the Berlin East Curve, both Hertha captain Toni Leistner and coach Pal Dardai sought to talk to fan representatives, and referee Schlager waited patiently for a long time. But the action didn’t end for the time being; more tennis balls kept flying from the stands onto the lawn. According to Sky commentator Hansi Küpper’s observations, fans sometimes even brought slingshots with them in order to be able to bridge the distance between the stands and the field. After going into the catacombs and another ten minutes, the game could then continue.
In the past few weeks, fans in all Bundesliga stadiums have repeatedly caused disruptions by constantly throwing chocolate coins, bouncy balls and tennis balls, but so far they have never reached such an extent. The supporters are protesting against commercialization and the German Football League’s (DFL) recent plans to work with an investor.