Bochum (dpa) – With clear words and the hope for help from the ranks of the fans, VfL Bochum’s CEO Hans-Peter Villis reacted to the momentous cup throwing scandal in the Ruhr Stadium.
“We don’t want to have anything to do with fans like that,” said Villis of “Bild” and added: “There are a few fans here who don’t have their hands and their brains under control, but they are individual.” That is not the behavior of VfL, emphasized the club boss: “They are just idiots who drag the image of the club down.”
Assistant referee Christian Gittelmann even had to go to the hospital after the scandal. He was hit in the head by the cup in the 68th minute. “He was dazed,” referee Benjamin Cortus told several TV stations. It was 2-0 for the visitors of Borussia Mönchengladbach when the incident happened and the game was ultimately abandoned. It was only the eighth time in the history of the Bundesliga that a game had to be abandoned.
Bochum’s boss speaks plain language
“A few people are destroying everything we’ve been building here for years. It’s tough, it’s horrible,” said Villis. “You have to look at the context: there’s a war in Ukraine, we’re making a special jersey, we’re doing everything we can to make our contribution to this terrible event. And there are people sitting and deliberately throwing a beer mug. How stupid can it be to be? There are 25,000 spectators here, creating a great atmosphere, but some people don’t get it. 1200 kilometers from us there is war…”.
The DFB could not be reached for a statement. The control committee will probably start the investigation after the scandal. In paragraph 14, paragraph 4 of the rules of the game of the German Football League, with reference to the DFB rules, it is regulated that if a team is at fault for the termination, the game is to be scored at least 2-0 for the innocent team. The decision is made by the legal bodies of the DFB.
“Of course it can be assumed that the game will be scored against us,” said Bochum’s assistant coach Markus Gellhaus, who represented head coach Thomas Reis, who was infected with the corona virus, on the sidelines.
In the last such case, the game between FC St. Pauli and FC Schalke 04 was scored 2-0 for the guests after assistant referee Thorsten Schiffner was hit in the neck with a full beer mug two minutes before the end on April 1, 2011 . At the time, Schalke was also 2-0 up.
Search for the cup launcher in progress
The pictures are currently being evaluated and VfL will actively support the police in their investigations, the Bochum team announced that night. The Bundesliga club reserves the right, among other things, “to make claims for damages. Because we assume that VfL will be punished by the association,” says the statement.
“In the event of a physical attack on a game official, in this case the assistant referee, there is simply no alternative to stopping the game,” said referee Cortus at DAZN. The cup hit Gittelmann clearly in the head, said Cortus. “He was dazed, has been taken to the hospital and will be examined accordingly,” said the main referee. Florian Heft, Cortus’ second assistant, accompanied Gittelmann to the hospital.
Angry Bochum players
The litter also caused incomprehension and anger among the players. “It’s very sad that something like this is called a VfL Bochum fan!” Manuel Riemann wrote on Instagram. The Bochum keeper ran out of his goal after the break in play and yelled at the fans in the section of the stands from which the cup flew.
Riemann’s currently injured teammate Simon Zoller also became apparent. “We, VfL Bochum, have been writing an incredible story for almost 2 years. This action is just disrespectful to all those who work their ass off every day to experience this journey! Let alone the linesman! YOU have nothing in the stadium lost!” the 30-year-old wrote on Twitter.