Aborted due to cup thrown: Bochum game counts for Borussia Mönchengladbach

After the cup throwing scandal, VfL Bochum lost as expected on the green table: The sports court of the German Football Association (DFB) evaluated the match, which was stopped in the 70th minute when Borussia Mönchengladbach was 2-0, with 2-0 goals and three Points for the five-time German champion.

Bochum had asked for the game to be repeated because the cup thrower bought his drink “completely legally” and the club was therefore “not at fault”. Stephan Oberholz, the chairman of the DFB sports court, smashed this argument. Every club is “responsible for its spectators”, the “fault of the spectators” is attributable to the club. The game rating for Gladbach is “mandatory and without alternative”, “a replay or a replay of the last 20 minutes is therefore not possible.”

According to the legal and procedural rules, the clubs are “responsible, among other things, for the behavior of their players, officials, employees, supporters and spectators,” according to Oberholz – regardless of fault. This has been confirmed several times by the International Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and the Federal Court of Justice (BGH).

On Thursday evening, Bochum accepted the decision that the club would not appeal. However, the DFB sports court will decide on sanctions for the promoted team in a separate procedure at a later date, the DFB announced. VfL is still threatened with a ghost game.

VfL announces sanctions

Assistant referee Christian Gittelmann was hit in the back of the head by a filled drink cup. Referee Benjamin Cortus initially interrupted the encounter and officially canceled it fifteen minutes later.

The Bochum police identified a suspect on Monday and questioned the matter. According to a joint statement by the public prosecutor’s office and the police headquarters, the 38-year-old from Bochum “did not get involved during the interrogation”.

VfL announced that it would take full action against the culprit. The club threatened “stadium ban, club expulsion or confiscation of the season ticket” as well as “claims for damages”. After the defeat at the green table, things could get tight again for Bochum in the relegation battle: seven laps before the end, the lead over the relegation place has shrunk to six points.

Gittelmann suffered a contusion of the skull

According to Gittelmann, he was diagnosed with a contused skull and whiplash in the hospital. He had demanded severe penalties. “A nationwide zero-tolerance policy with a clearly defined penalty that is known to everyone in advance and hard should be worked out,” said Gittelmann, saying that this is the only way to avoid “acts of violence” against referees – especially “on the amateur pitches”.

It was the eighth game abandoned in Bundesliga history. The last time there was a game between FC St. Pauli and Schalke 04 was on April 1, 2011, when referee assistant Thorsten Schiffner was hit on the head by a beer mug.

The Millerntor team was initially sentenced to a ghost game. In retrospect, the penalty was reduced to a game in a stadium at least 50 kilometers away.