Source:REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
[Saba Sports News] In the 9th round of the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund defeated Augsburg 1-0 away. However, misconduct by Dortmund fans led to multiple interruptions in the match. In the 3rd minute of the game, fans in the away section threw tennis balls onto the pitch. Stadium security personnel promptly cleared these yellow felt tennis balls, but more continued to be thrown. It took about three minutes for the chaos to subside. Shortly after the match restarted, a large number of pyrotechnics were set off in the Dortmund fan section. The match was briefly interrupted again before proceeding. Right at the start of the second half, flares set off by Dortmund fans landed not only on the pitch but also flew into the surrounding spectator areas. The background to this incident is a protest by Dortmund fans against late Bundesliga kick-off times and the scheduling of matches on Friday evenings. Banners appeared in the Dortmund fan section reading “We decide when the game is played” and “In favor of 3:30 PM Saturday kick-offs.” Additionally, chants of “Damn DFB” and “Damn DFL” echoed through the stadium.