Chaos in Germany: 3. Liga Game Abandonded, Rockets Fired Into Family Block

Rot-Weiss Essen fans have been accused of instigating chaos during their team’s third division match against 1. FC Saarbrücken.

The game, held at Saarbrücken’s Ludwigspark Stadium, was disrupted when flares and rockets were fired from the away section, leading to a brief suspension of play. One rocket set an advertising banner alight on the opposite side of the pitch, further exacerbating tensions in what had already been deemed a high-risk fixture.

With 13,492 spectators in attendance, including hundreds of so-called ‘problem fans’ from both sides, the match was marred by a series of unsettling events. The disruption reached its peak when a rocket from the Essen fan block was launched towards the family seating area, prompting widespread condemnation.

Players and Officials React

The referee, Bacher, was forced to stop the game in the 61st minute, sending players from both teams to the dressing rooms for their safety. The match resumed ten minutes later, but the atmosphere remained fraught. After the game, Saarbrücken took to social media, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “Antisocial idiots from the RWE block repeatedly shot flares at the seating area.”

Die Partie ist unterbrochen und steht kurz vor dem Abbruch. Wiederholt haben asoziale Idioten aus dem RWE-Block Leuchtraketen auf den Sitzplatzbereich geschossen.

— 1. FC Saarbrücken (@ersterfcs) December 1, 2024

Essen coach Christoph Dabrowski, visibly shaken by the events, apologised on behalf of the club, saying, “With all the support of the fans: This is not part of football. On behalf of RWE: sorry!” He later told Magenta Sport, “Those were unpleasant scenes, I can only hope that no one was injured. I am glad the game was not abandoned. Despite all the support from the fans, which we felt again after the final whistle: something like that is not acceptable.”

RWE captain Michael Schultz added his voice to the criticism, remarking, “The atmosphere is tense, even if the majority of the fans are behind us. But something like that doesn’t belong in the stadium, it doesn’t help us. That’s not worthy of RWE.”