The football games in the German upper and lower houses are currently overshadowed by unpleasant scenes. But how long will this continue? t-online spoke to a fan researcher.
Whether tennis balls, coins, marbles or even lemons: in the Bundesliga and 2nd Bundesliga there is fear of the next fan protests and the long interruptions that may follow. Are the next unpleasant scenes imminent on the next match day or even in the last two quarter-final games of the DFB Cup?
Recently, fans of many clubs such as Union Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, Cologne and Hertha BSC expressed their dissatisfaction with the planned investor entry into the DFL. In Berlin there was even a 32-minute interruption in the top second division game against HSV on Saturday evening. Even an abandonment of the game, an increase in the current escalation, now seems possible in the messy dispute.
How could things continue? Is the DFL approaching the fans again? t-online asked fan researcher and sports sociologist Gunter A. Pilz.
t-online: Mr. Pilz, how do you assess the fans’ current discontent?
Gunter A. Pilz: The actions themselves should be understood in the context of the Ultras and their attitudes, which are strictly in favor of adhering to the 50+1 principle and against excessive commercialization of football. In the end, this means that the clubs must have a 51 percent majority. This is intended to ensure the traditions and social responsibility of the club. With the sponsorship agreement that the DFL is now seeking, the fans’ great concern is that football is selling its soul. By protesting, they want to prevent exactly that from happening.
What do you think about the form of the protests? Is that appropriate?
The nature of the protest is fundamentally very sympathetic. No violence is used, balls are thrown onto the field. The protests are understandable to me. The right to strike and protests are legitimate, so German football must and will make do with them. The current, creative protests and the way fans express their displeasure demand respect.
The fans know that they wield great power through the protests. If the supporters are not taken seriously, the whole thing will escalate – and that cannot be in the DFL’s interest. Since the Corona pandemic, the association has recognized how important fans are in the stadium.
What needs to happen next now?
It is feared that the protests will continue unless something changes quickly. But the protests can only end if those responsible for the DFL and the fans’ representatives sit down at the table and try to find a sensible compromise. They have no other choice. The DFL must make the fans understand the current situation and their motivations. And it must strive to accept and respect fans’ legitimate concerns and seek common solutions.
One thing is clear: On the one hand, you cannot have the attitude that the Bundesliga clubs should compete internationally and, on the other hand, want to prevent important financial resources through regulations. It takes money. But there also needs to be a conversation about whether there are alternatives.
The fans were “ignored” in the first draft of an investor entry.
Now it’s time to sit down at a table. This was obviously missed in the first round, where it was already clearly stated by the fans that there would be massive protests if the supporters were not acknowledged and included. Before voting on the second draft, more efforts should have been made to involve the fans in the process. Your legitimate objections should have been taken into account. The ongoing protests should be an opportunity to exchange the respective fears and reasons for action and to look for a compromise that is viable for all sides.