About 100 people, including 35 police officers, were injured after fan incidents during the German Cup first-round match between hosts Waldhof Mannheim and Kaiserslautern late Friday, local police confirmed. The fixture, designated as high risk due to the intense rivalry between the clubs located approximately 50 kilometres (30 miles) apart, saw nearly 1,400 police officers deployed to provide security.
Match Disruption and Security Response
The game was halted for approximately 30 minutes at the end of regulation time with the score locked at 0-0. Police reported that fans from the visitors’ end fired flares toward the main stand, prompting home supporters to storm the pitch. Authorities confirmed a “massive police intervention on the pitch to force individuals back toward the home supporters’ section using physical measures.”
- “A total of 85 people required medical attention, with eight transported to the hospital for further treatment,” police stated.
- Following the delay, the match resumed and finished 1-0 after Kaiserslautern’s Ibrahim Kanate scored in the 120th minute.
