On the terraces: Düsseldorf ultras miss derby, Podolski in Köln block, election winners and losers

In a weekly Newsletter, Matt Ford keeps an eye on the action off the pitch in the Bundesliga and German football, explaining what’s going on from fan protests to finances.

It was another quiet weekend in the Rhineland with a federal election and a local derby between 1. FC Köln and Fortuna Düsseldorf scheduled on the same day, just as the carnival season approaches its climax. Unfortunately, derby day ended early for several hundred Düsseldorf ultras who were stopped by police, subjected to invasive searches and ultimately sent home, prompting criticism from fan legal aid groups. One fan who did make it to the game, however, was Lukas Podolski, who was spotted cheering on his "FC" from the Südkurve, where a pre-match choreography has since caused controversy. Carnival season, indeed.

Elsewhere, there were further spectacular displays in Hannover, Dortmund, Hamburg and Wolfsburg (yes, Wolfsburg), plus more election-related fun and games. Although not, perhaps, for former Union Berlin head scout Oliver Ruhnert …

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Matt Ford's "On the terraces" newsletter will continue to appear every week throughout the 2024/25 Bundesliga season. Last season, the newsletter featured exclusive and in-depth coverage of the Bundesliga's private equity plans and the political intrigues at VfB Stuttgart, among other things. If you like what you see, please consider taking out a paid subscription.