35 police officers injured at DFB Cup derby between Mannheim and Kaiserslautern
Following the DFB Cup match in Mannheim, fan unrest escalated: 35 officers were injured, 85 people received medical treatment. 1,400 security personnel were deployed.
Unrest at Carl-Benz Stadium: fans storm the pitch
Serious clashes broke out at the DFB Cup derby between SV Waldhof Mannheim and 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Friday evening. According to SRF, 35 police officers were slightly injured in the process – 33 from the Federal Police, two from Baden-Württemberg. Altogether, 85 people required medical treatment, eight of whom were admitted to hospital. According to a police spokesperson, the injuries are classified as minor based on current information.
Around 23,500 spectators attended the sold-out Carl-Benz Stadium, including approximately 3,500 visiting fans from Kaiserslautern. Pyrotechnics were set off repeatedly throughout the match, and the atmosphere was tense from the outset.
The situation escalated after 90 goalless minutes: following a scuffle amongst players on the pitch, FCK supporters fired fireworks into the seating area. Mannheim fans then stormed the pitch. Police officers – some on horseback – had to intervene to bring the situation under control. For a time, a match abandonment seemed possible, and the kick-off for extra time had to be temporarily delayed. After play resumed, the situation remained calm. Kaiserslautern – with Swiss player Jan Elvedi in their squad – won with a goal in the 120th minute, winning 1–0. Subsequently, the fire brigade extinguished a fire set by fans in the visiting supporters' section.
Altogether, approximately 1,400 security personnel were deployed, including officers from Rhineland-Palatinate and Bavaria. Police are now investigating offences including insult, assault, property damage, breach of the peace, assault on police officers, and violations of the Explosives Act.
The German Football Association announced on Instagram that it intended to thoroughly investigate the incidents. Both clubs condemned the rioters. "When rockets are fired into the family section, the line has been crossed," said Waldhof managing director Gerhard Zuber. Kaiserslautern's managing director Thomas Hengen emphasised on Sky that a derby must not escalate despite the intense emotions involved.
Baden-Württemberg's interior minister Manuel Hagel strongly condemned the scenes. "Anyone who misuses football as a platform for violent excesses, deliberately puts other fans in danger, and especially injures security personnel is not a fan but a criminal," the CDU politician said. Such individuals would be treated accordingly "to enforce law and order in our stadiums".
Source: SRF