Protest against investors
Bouncy balls and tennis balls: Committee for Moderate Sentences
The control committee of the German Football Association (DFB) wants to take a moderate approach to penalties. photo
© Bernd Thissen/dpa
For weeks, fans in the Bundesliga caused game interruptions with protests. The DFB control committee has now announced how to proceed.
The Control Committee of the German Football Association (After the fan protests in the investor dispute, the DFB) and the DFB Presidium have agreed on a uniform line to sanction game delays in the Bundesliga and 2nd Bundesliga.
The committee will “apply to the DFB sports court for moderate fines that vary depending on the league and the length of the game interruptions,” the DFB said in a statement. The first penalty applications will be sent to the clubs in the coming days.
For weeks, fans in the stands protested with bouncy balls, tennis balls and chocolate coins against the planned entry of an investor into the German Football League (DFL). The deal ultimately fell through – also because the pressure from supporters was increasing.
Control committee announces flat-rate penalties
“It was clear from the start that we would not count bouncy balls and tennis balls, but would work with lump sums, just as we have done in comparable cases in the past,” said Anton Nachreiner, chairman of the DFB control committee. There is nothing wrong with a peaceful protest. “But objects that fly into the interior can endanger people there, and interruptions prevent the game from running smoothly.”
Bundesliga clubs should pay a fine of between 10,000 and 50,000 euros, depending on the length of the interruption. The amounts are lower for the 2nd league (5,000 to 30,000 euros) and the 3rd league (2,500 to 15,000). If throwing the objects did not result in the game being interrupted, flat-rate penalties of 5,000 euros (Bundesliga), 2,500 euros (2nd Bundesliga) and 1,250 euros (3rd league) should be applied for.