Bochum (dpa) – VfL Bochum already has a large image damage, now the sporting consequences of the cup throwing scandal are also certain.
As expected, the Bundesliga game of the promoted team against Borussia Mönchengladbach was rated by the sports court of the German Football Association (DFB) for the guests from the Lower Rhine. The game in Bochum’s Ruhrstadion was canceled on Friday evening after a spectator threw a cup at the head of assistant referee Christian Gittelmann.
“According to the legal and procedural regulations of the DFB, which apply to all clubs, the game for VfL Bochum is to be considered lost with a score of 0:2, since the club is responsible for its spectators and the fault of the spectators is attributable to the club,” explained Stephan Oberholz, the chairman of the DFB sports court, the verdict on Thursday in a DFB announcement. In the evening, VfL Bochum accepted the verdict. The club said he would not appeal.
Who is liable?
“VfL Bochum 1848 continues to condemn this incident in the strongest possible terms and continues to support the police and public prosecutor’s office in their efforts to convict the perpetrator,” said a statement on Thursday evening. “Nevertheless, it was and is VfL Bochum 1848’s duty to protect the club’s rights in the scheduled sports court proceedings.” Bochum had initially demanded a replay.
“We condemn the cup throwing, it’s a massive crime, there’s nothing to talk about, it’s condemnable, it’s unbearable,” VfL lawyer Horst Kletke told the German Press Agency on Wednesday. “But if a criminal throws a cup, VfL Bochum is not to blame.”
The DFB sees things differently. The liability of the clubs for misconduct of the persons attributable to them results from paragraph 9a of the legal and procedural rules of the association. “According to this, clubs are responsible, among other things, for the behavior of their players, officials, employees, supporters and spectators,” said Oberholz. “The game re-evaluation is mandatory as a legal consequence in paragraph 18, number 4, and there is no alternative. A replay or a replay of the last 20 minutes is therefore not possible.”
Skull contusion after throwing a cup
In the game in Bochum at the start of the 27th Bundesliga match day, Gittelmann was hit in the head in the 68th minute by a drink cup that had been thrown from a stand with mainly Bochum fans. As a result, referee Benjamin Cortus initially interrupted the game when Gladbach was 2-0 and then stopped it shortly afterwards. Gittelmann was taken to the hospital, where the 39-year-old was diagnosed with a contused skull and whiplash.
The police have since identified a suspect. According to a joint statement by the police and the public prosecutor’s office, this is a 38-year-old from Bochum. At first he did not get involved, and the investigation is ongoing.
Alcohol ban is discussed
Meanwhile, VfL is considering a ban on alcohol in the stands. This measure is being discussed, said Ilja Kaenzig as spokesman for the management of VfL Bochum of the “Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung”. The alcohol ban could take effect in the next home game against Bayer Leverkusen on April 10.
In terms of sport, the situation in the table for Bochum has become more uncomfortable due to the second defeat in a row. With 32 points, VfL has a six-point lead over the relegation place. Borussia has one point more than the Revierclub.
Further sanctions possible
After the indictment by the DFB control committee, the sports court wants to make a separate decision on possible further sanctions against Bochum at a later date.
In a similar case in 2011, the host club was penalized with a game outside of their own city. At that time, the game FC St. Pauli against FC Schalke 04 was stopped when the score was 2-0 for the guests after referee assistant Thorsten Schiffner was also hit by a cup. The game was scored 2:0 for Schalke. In addition, St. Pauli had to play the first game of the 2011/12 second division season at least 50 kilometers outside of Hamburg.