Tennis balls and pyros: BVB fans protest in Augsburg | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund wins in Augsburg 1-0 – but the game is overshadowed by fan protests. Tennis balls, pyrotechnics, and clear messages against late kick-off times cause a stir.

During the Bundesliga away game of BVB in Augsburg on Friday evening, there were multiple interruptions – triggered by their own fans. The traveling Dortmund supporters protested loudly and spectacularly against late kick-off times in the Bundesliga. In the end, BVB won the match 1-0.

Shortly after the kick-off, numerous tennis balls were thrown from the away section onto the pitch. The stewards had their hands full removing the yellow felt balls, but new ones kept landing on the field. After about three minutes, the match could continue. “When you play, we decide – Pro Saturday at half-past three,” read large banners displayed in the BVB section. Chants like “Screw DFB” and “Screw DFL” echoed through the stadium.

The protest was prompted by the repeated scheduling of distant away games at inconvenient times. Just on Tuesday evening, BVB had played in the cup in Frankfurt – at 6:30 PM, forcing many fans to take a day off. Only three days later, they had to travel across Germany again, this time about 600 kilometers to Augsburg, to stand in the stadium at 8:30 PM.

Protest against kick-off times: BVB fans rage against DFL and DFB

With their unmistakable message, the Dortmund fans made it clear that they prefer the traditional Bundesliga times on Saturday afternoons. The banners also featured a drawn clock that moved from 8:30 PM to 8:35 PM during the protest – symbolizing the late kick-off times.

But the protest didn’t stop at throwing tennis balls. Shortly after the restart, BVB fans ignited pyrotechnics, and several flares flew onto the pitch and into adjacent spectator areas. The referee and stewards interrupted the game again, fortunately, no one was injured.

While the match between FC Augsburg and Borussia Dortmund continued on the pitch, attention was once again drawn to the stands. The protest lasted about seven minutes in total. It once again showed that the discontent of many fans over the increasing commercialization and late game schedules does not subside.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.