Violence in Saarland football: headbutt! Racism! insults!

Saarbrucken – The punch against a referee in the 12th league in the game between 1. FC Fitten and SG Leuktal (BILD reported) caused horror. But it was not the first incident in Saar football. Stephan Alt (64), Vice-President of the Saarland Football Association (SFV), criticizes the lack of respect for referees.

Review: The district league game between SV Beeden and SV Bruchhof-Sanddorf was canceled in September 2022: a player from the home team is said to have bumped into each other.

In May 2022, the friendly match between SF Thailen and 1. FC Fitten ended prematurely: a player from the hosts had to go to the hospital after a headbutt. The police were on site in large numbers.

The referees are not only beaten, but also insulted in the worst possible way: In the Saarland-Liga, the referee ended the game between Borussia Neunkirchen and TuS Herrensohr at the beginning of April after a spectator had slammed a player from Neunkirchen racially insulted.

Saar official Alt to BILD: “The respect towards our referees has decreased, as has the respect towards rescue workers and elected officials.”

The SFV must take countermeasures: “We will have to try to get this spiral under control.” But that will not work overnight, but will take months, if not years.

“We can only take preventive action,” emphasizes Alt. “We don’t have any other option.” He recalls an earlier campaign that was launched in 2014 under the motto: “Fists are for cheering”.

Whether the violence in Saar football actually increased, so Alt, he could not statistically prove. Current figures are not available and would have to be evaluated first. “We have to shed light on this and take action.”

Alt continues: “Every referee who is hit thinks about doing it again. Finding youngsters is then very difficult.” His clear opinion: “Parents, in particular, carry through in the youth field Insults contribute to the fact that young referees in particular are no longer interested.”

But he is also clearly opposed to any provocation of players with a migration background: “It’s not okay for them to be insulted by spectators.” Ultimately, the “brutalization of society” has unfortunately also arrived in football.

In a statement on the recent game abandonment in fit the SFV condemns “any form of violence on our football pitches”. Association President Heribert Ohlmann (70): “The two attacks on our referee were unacceptable, could not be excused and shocked us deeply.”

The criminal courts and the SFV association court will now deal with the Incident on the Fittener sports field occupy. Ohlmann: “We hope that the referee concerned will continue to pursue his hobby.”