The 13th matchday of Bundesliga 2 began with fan protests. Supporters displayed critical banners at the matches between Hertha BSC and Eintracht Braunschweig and VfL Bochum and Dynamo Dresden. In addition, the Ultras and many other fans remained silent for the first twelve minutes of the matches. "Is this the future of soccer?" could be read on banners in the Olympic Stadium and the Ruhr Stadium to accompany the silence.
The action is to be continued at the weekend. It is intended as a protest against the planned political security measures in German stadiums. At the same time, the supporters are calling on the clubs to "oppose these plans with all available resources and possibilities", as stated in a joint statement by the fan scenes in Germany.
The topic of stadium security will be discussed at the autumn meeting of the Conference of Interior Ministers in Bremen from December 3 to 5. Among other things, personalized tickets for soccer matches and a tightening of the stadium ban guidelines are under discussion.
DFL against collective official measures
The organized fans in Germany are fighting back. Under the slogan "Football is safe! No more populism - yes to fan culture!", a large fan demonstration took place in Leipzig just last weekend.
The German Football League made its position clear once again in a statement ahead of the Bundesliga weekend. "Collective measures by the authorities, as demanded in part by domestic politicians, are neither expedient in terms of improving stadium security nor are they acceptable to the many millions of soccer fans who would be affected by these measures," it said.
And further: "This expressly means measures such as the reduction or elimination of ticket quotas for guest fans or the obligation to personalize and thus identify at admission." The DFL referred to the views expressed by its Managing Director Marc Lenz and DFB President Bernd Neuendorf at the special meeting of the Fans and Fan Cultures Commission.
1st FC Köln supports fan protests in principle
1st FC Köln, whose fans want to take part in the boycott at the home match against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday evening, showed understanding for the protest. "The fans' minutes of silence are painful for us, but understandable. The vibrant fan culture is an irreplaceable part of our identity and the joie de vivre that characterizes FC and German soccer as a whole," the board and management stated.
At the same time, the newly promoted Bundesliga club emphasized that stadium safety is essential and that stadium attendance is statistically safe. Collective punishment is rejected. Instead, the club is focusing on dialog - with politicians as well as other clubs.
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