HSV fans interrupt the game with tennis balls

Fans of Hamburger SV caused an interruption to the Bundesliga match against RB Leipzig by throwing tennis balls. Shortly after kick-off of the match at the end of the 24th matchday, supporters threw yellow felt balls onto the pitch from the north stand. However, the match was only interrupted for a short time. Apparently, the protest was directed against the late kick-off time at 7.30 pm, as a banner in the block suggested.

"We clearly stand up for kick-off times that are right for the fans and call on the DFL to stop the further fragmentation of match days. In addition, the agreed rules should be adhered to and not misused for marketing purposes," wrote the Förderkreis Nordtribüne a few days ago.

Matches are often played on Sundays to relieve the pressure on teams playing in the European Cup. The fans see a background to the late matches for marketing purposes, among other things. In 2024, similar tennis ball actions had become more frequent when fans of several clubs protested against the entry of investors in professional soccer.