CHAOS halted a third-tier East German derby on Sunday as players bolted to safety after the pitch was invaded by hooligans.
The match between Erzgebirge Aue and Energie Cottbus was poised at 1-1 when tensions boiled over six minutes into the second half.
Aue fans stormed the pitch six minutes into the second halfCredit: Refer to source
They made a beeline for the travelling Cottbus fansCredit: Refer to source
Cottbus staff and players ran back to the dressing roomCredit: Refer to source
Referee Lukas Benen was forced to temporarily suspend the game after Aue ultras stormed the pitch and made a beeline for the Cottbus fans.
Cottbus manager Claus-Dieter Wollitz called his players off the field and they ran back to the dressing room.
The carnage died down when police entered the fray, and play was stopped for around 12 minutes.
But only after a steward was hurt while trying to defuse the situation.
Police spokesperson Andrzej Rydzik said: “According to current information, a steward sustained minor injuries while attempting to calm agitated Aue fans in a section adjacent to the away end.”
Cottbus manager Wollitz said after the game: “I haven’t had a situation like this with fans in the stadium very often, maybe this is the first time.
“Several people come up and you don’t know how they’ll react.”
According to Bild , Aue ultras may have been riled up by a Cottbus banner which referenced a November attack in which Aue banners were stolen by a rival group.
Local authorities had been wary of potential trouble before the game.
The Erzgebirge district warned of a possible pitch invasion and deployed 460 police officers, as well as a large group of stewards.
Questions have therefore been raised about how the Aue hooligans still managed to swarm the pitch.
Aue took the lead in the 3. Liga match through Marcel Bar but ended up losing 2-1 thanks to King Manu’s equaliser and Axel Borgmann’s 87th-minute winner.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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