Coach Alexander Zorniger from SpVgg Greuther Fürth sees the time to call off the game after another lengthy interruption due to fan protests. “I’m waiting for someone to explain that to me,” he said on the Sky microphone after his team’s 1-2 (1-0) win in the 2nd Bundesliga at Hannover 96: “When the referee and the clubs are so on the nose are dragged through the arena – what if we really break off?”
The game in Hanover was about to be canceled after a 25-minute break; it was only in the third and final attempt that no more tennis balls flew from the stands onto the court. Fans have been protesting in this way for weeks against the investor plans of the German Football League (DFL).
“It can’t go on like this, nothing has happened,” said Zorniger, who can basically understand why the game hasn’t been canceled yet: “Everyone is scared, of course no referee wants to be the first to do it. But “You have to ensure that the game takes place under regular conditions.”
Zorniger’s team gave up the game after the break despite taking the lead. “It’s completely impossible to maintain focus, there are so many things going through your head that have nothing to do with football anymore,” said Zorniger, who is critical of the role of the fans: “They are described as the heart of the game, “It’s not them, it’s the players. Without them, football can’t take place. The fans may be the soul of the game, but the heart is the players.”
Referee Patrick Ittrich later emphasized that the game was “very close” to being abandoned. “I’m very happy that we finished it, because you don’t want that.” In any case, in the end “someone is always not happy whether we break off or not,” he said on Sky: “And at some point I’ll get tired of that too.” All parties need to come to a table quickly, “and then the cow has to get off the ice.”