In a landmark ruling that has sent shockwaves through German soccer, the German Football Association (DFB) has reversed the result of a Bundesliga match following a disturbing incident of fan violence.
The controversy unfolded during a December 14 match between Union Berlin and Bochum at the Stadion Alte Forsterei. With just two minutes remaining in stoppage time, Bochum goalkeeper Patrick Drewes was struck in the head by a lighter thrown from the Union Berlin supporters' section, resulting in a 28-minute suspension of play.
The situation became even more dramatic as Bochum, having exhausted all their substitutions, was forced to position their center-forward Philipp Hofmann in goal. Initially hesitant to resume play, the Bochum team eventually returned to the field under protest. Both teams then participated in what could only be described as a peculiar conclusion, simply passing the ball around without any attempts to score.
Following a 90-minute deliberation at the DFB Sports Court in Frankfurt, the committee made its groundbreaking decision. Based on DFB regulations that nullify results when teams are disadvantaged by non-game-related incidents, the original 1-1 draw was converted to a 2-0 victory for Bochum, marking their first away win of the season.
DFB sports tribunal chairman Stephan Oberholz defended the ruling, stating, "The circumstances left us little other option. The goalkeeper was limited by the injury, the doctor made the decision for him that Drewes should not continue playing. We have no sufficient evidence to suggest that this was a special performance or a conspiracy."
Union Berlin's managing director of communications, Christian Arbeit, voiced strong opposition to the verdict: "This verdict goes against our legal opinion that the game was properly ended after the referee's decision with the 1-1 scoreline, and that there are no circumstances that could justify the DFB court's changing of the result." The club, which has identified the fan responsible for the incident, has been given seven days to appeal the decision.
The Bundesliga has confirmed that all match statistics, including goals, assists, and Koji Miyoshi's red card for Bochum, will remain unchanged in the official record. While the awarded points improve Bochum's position, they remain at the bottom of the Bundesliga table, now with eight points.
