Injuries and arrests: Severe riots at Südwest-Derby football match

The Südwest-Derby football match between SV Waldhof Mannheim and 1. FC Kaiserslautern was marred by severe riots, resulting in 35 police officers injured and multiple arrests. The rivalry between the two clubs escalated dramatically, with pyrotechnics launched from the stands and fans storming the pitch. Eight individuals required hospital treatment for their injuries, though most were reported as minor. The German Football Association (DFB) has stated it will investigate the disturbances.

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the mass was exceeded

Waldhof Mannheim's managing director, Gerhard Zuber, condemned the "massively excessive" behavior, criticizing Kaiserslautern captain Marlon Ritter for "brutal gestures" towards the Mannheim bench. Zuber also denounced the firing of fireworks from the guest fan section towards the main stand, emphasizing the danger to spectators. Ritter acknowledged that "probably too much" occurred from "all participants" but retorted that the Mannheim bench was not entirely blameless.

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He has permanently fired brutal gestures towards the bench, that has been tolerated. That's how you have a problem

The match, which saw flares and firecrackers used extensively by both sets of fans, was interrupted multiple times. Emotions ran high after the regular playing time ended goalless, leading to confrontations between players and further pyrotechnic displays. Police, some on horseback, intervened to restore order, with approximately 1,400 officers deployed. The start of extra time was delayed by about 20 minutes due to the unrest. A fire was also extinguished in the Kaiserslautern fan block after the match.

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It was probably also too much from all participants.