On the terraces: Tuchel takes aim at Bayern fans, Dortmund ultras pay their respects and Glasgow St Pauli cut ties with club
In a new weekly Newsletter, Matt Ford will be keeping an eye on the action off the pitch in the Bundesliga and German football, from fan protests to finances.
As German football returned following the winter break, objection to the DFL’s controversial private equity investor deal continued across the country, while Bayern Munich fans criticised their own club for moves into multi-club ownership. Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund ultras mourned the tragic death of a friend and a high-profile international fan club has cut ties with FC St. Pauli over the conflict in the Middle East.
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Sporadic anti-DFL protests continue
Protests against the German Football League (DFL)’s plans to enter into negotiations with a private equity investor continued into 2024 with the “Fanszenen Deutschlands,” a nationwide alliance of ultra groups, releasing a statement promising “It’s not over yet …” – a statement seen on banners across the league this weekend.
In their statement, the Fanszenen (fan scenes) reiterated criticism of the “untransparent” and “anonymous” nature of the vote and lampooned certain club representatives for ignoring explicit recommendations given to them by members, demanding “a new vote with full transparency and adherence to the 50+1 rule.”
On Friday night at home to Hoffenheim, Bayern Munich’s organised support continued the 12-minute atmosphere boycott seen before Christmas, as did fans of SC Freiburg and Union Berlin during their game on Saturday.
In Munich, Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel issued veiled criticism of the protest. “I think there was an atmosphere boycott because of … no idea … DFL, investors, drama, soap opera, whatever,” he told DAZN, opining that it was “about time for a home game with enthusiasm,” especially on an evening when the club mourned the death of Franz Beckenbauer.
For coaches, players and indeed anyone who earns their living from professional football, criticising fan protests against perceived over-commercialisation is a dangerous game to play. If Tuchel doesn’t understand the criticism, Bayern’s ultras were stood about 20 metres from where he was giving his interview and would surely have been happy to explain.
In Mainz, supporters symbolically presented their club’s board with a basket of fruit, saying that executives had “made fruit of them.” It was a creative play on a German expression meaning “to make fools of someone,” as the fans think the board has done not only by voting in favour of the DFL investor plan, but also by organizing a pre-season friendly against Saudi Arabia-owned Newcastle United, among other things.
For a comprehensive discussion of the proposed deal and what it means for German football, have a listen to the Gegenpressing Extra podcast we recorded in December.
Bayern fans criticise own club over multi-club ownership
Criticism from Bayern Munich’s supporters on Friday night wasn’t just limited to the DFL’s private equity plans; fan group Munich’s Red Pride (MRP) also attacked their club for its moves into multi-club ownership in the last six months.
Last year, Bayern launched a joint venture with MLS side Los Angeles FC known as “Red&Gold,” the aim of which it says is “the promotion of young talents and their responsible accompaniment into professional football.”
Red&Gold has already entered into a partnership with the “Gambino Stars Academy” in Gambia (which also has links to similar youth football academies in Senegal & Cameroon) and in December became majority shareholder in Uruguayan side Racing Club de Montevideo.
“We’re not City and not Red Bull – we are us! No to multi-club owner FCB!” read the banner from MRP, referring to the multi-club ownership models operated by City Football Group and Red Bull, and suspecting that their own club is taking steps in the same direction. Another banner on the Südkurve read simply: “Everything except Bayern is s***.”
“Rest in peace, Marcel” – Borussia Dortmund ultras mourn friend
Borussia Dortmund ultras also remained silent for the opening stages of their team’s game in Darmstadt on Saturday evening, but not as part of an anti-DFL protest. Rather, as the black banners in the away end made clear, they were mourning the loss of Marcel, an ultra from “The Unity” who sadly passed away on New Year’s Day.
Marcel, who is survived by his wife and young daughter, was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2017 and underwent two successful operations as well as chemotherapy. But when the tumour returned for a third time and couldn’t be removed entirely, it was clear that Marcel’s illness was terminal. Dortmund’s ultras launched a campaign in October to raise funds to pay for palliative care for his remaining months. Within two weeks, enough donations had poured in from fan groups across Germany to allow the campaign to end early.
To mark his passing, Dortmund’s ultras lit several flares in silence, while Darmstadt fans also unveiled a banner reading: “Rest in peace, Marcel – ultras never die!”
Earlier in the day, Cologne ultras, many of whom maintain friendly links with their Dortmund counterparts, also displayed numerous banners during their home game against Heidenheim, reading: “Your heart beat to the rhythm of the terrace – its echo will never fade away” and “We will continue to carry your courage for life through the stadiums.”
Rest in peace, Marcel.
‘Glasgow St. Pauli’ cut ties with club
The FC St. Pauli fan club ‘Glasgow St. Pauli’ announced last Thursday that it was ending its eight-year association with the second-division side due to differing opinions regarding the conflict in the Middle East, in particular the failure of the club and its hardcore ultra groups to explicitly condemn the ongoing Israeli military operation in Gaza.
“Antifascism stands against all forms of fascism,” read a statement from Glasgow St. Pauli, following St. Pauli’s Catalonian fan club in cutting ties. “You don’t get to pick and choose, but that is exactly what is happening in Germany. The sickening ferocity in which innocent civilians are being murdered in Palestine is nothing other than fascism. Thousands of children have been murdered by fascism, and as most of the world looks on in horror, the silence from our club has been deafening.”
At the core of the dispute are contrasting responses to the conflict between politically left-wing and antifascist groups in Germany and in other parts of the western world. Many such groups have been critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which have resulted in widespread destruction of infrastructure, displaced millions, and left over 23,000 people, including thousands of children, dead. Meanwhile, some left-wing German groups, conscious of Germany’s Nazi past and responsibility for the Holocaust, have emphasised solidarity with the state of Israel in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7th during which over 1,000 Israelis, mainly civilians, were murdered and over 200 taken hostage.
Among those killed were fans of Israeli side Hapoel Tel Aviv, whose ultras maintain a friendship with Ultrà Sankt Pauli, the largest St Pauli ultra group. Similarly, Werder Bremen ultras have friendly links to counterparts at Maccabi Haifa, and Maccabi Jerusalem, both of which have had fans either murdered or taken prisoner by Hamas. Last year, Mainz 05 terminated striker Anwar El Ghazi’s contract over a social media post on the conflict which the club considered incompatible with its values.
Great article Matt. I happened to listen to a podcast re St Pauli earlier this week and was wondering how these two viewpoints could be reconciled ie The Green Brigade (the Celtic ultras) very quickly came out in support of the Palestinians and this led to the club banning them from several games. Given the sectarian nature of significant sections of the Celtic (and Rangers) fan base, I have never quite understood the attraction for the two Hamburg clubs of the close relationships they have with the two Glasgow clubs.