Energie Cottbus Player and Wife Attacked After Cup Match

Energie Cottbus’s Niko Breitschneider and his wife were attacked after a cup match this weekend, as reported by RBB24.

Tensions erupted following the cup match between Regionalliga side Babelsberg 03 and Die Lausitzer of the 3. Liga on Friday evening, with reports of an attack on Cottbus player Breitschneider and his wife in the stands. Breitschneider told Lausitzer Rundschau, “I wanted to go to my family and was showered with beer by a fan, who then became violent towards my wife.”

Energie Cottbus’ press spokesman, Stefan Scharfenberg-Hecht, confirmed the incident, stating that Breitschneider was doused with beer and that a Babelsberg fan struck his wife during the altercation. The police were called to the scene but were unable to locate the individual involved immediately. Images shared show the aftermath, with Breitschneider and his wife surrounded by Cottbus players and fans in a chaotic situation as his wife attempted to calm him down.

The incident further frustrated Cottbus after the team bus license plate was stolen. “One wonders how that can be,” Scharfenberg-Hecht said, confirming that investigations are ongoing. The 3. Liga side won the Brandenburg Cup game 3-2,

SV Babelsberg also addressed the incident, which has shocked German football, stating on Instagram that “mutual provocations” between players and fans escalated into violence. The club stressed that they “disapprove of any form of violence” and are working with the authorities to investigate.

“Regardless of who, when, or what kind of aggression came from, such behaviour cannot be tolerated,” they added. Babelsberg reiterated their commitment to promoting tolerance and non-violence and expressed the importance of respectful behaviour from both fans and guests.

Site Opinion

These are the sort of stories you don’t always get to read in the UK. Players being attacked by fans isn’t as rare as you might think, and incidents of such disorder, whether violent like this or pitch invaders wanting selfies, are becoming more common.

This is particularly worrying in lower leagues, where security might not be as tight. It’s also surprising that Babelsburg has opted to victim shame, mentioning ‘mutual provocation’ when the player didn’t seem to throw beer or a punch.