Magdeburg commemorates Hannes S.: Stadium area closed against Halle!

Magdeburg commemorates Hannes S.: Stadium area closed against Halle!

Magdeburg, Deutschland - On July 31st, the top game between the U 23 of 1. FC Magdeburg and Halle FC is pending, but the anticipation is overshadowed by a serious dark side of the fan culture. The home area of the Magdeburg stadium remains closed that day to commemorate Hannes S., a fan that was killed in a tragic incident in October 2016. Hannes fell from a train after he was said to have been harassed by HFC supporters. Tragically, this case has not yet been fully informed, and the investigation by the public prosecutor's office has been discontinued because no fault could be demonstrated. This reports kicker.de.

In the meantime, the sad record of Hannes S. attracts special attention, because he is not the first fan in Germany that was killed after disputes. According to Robert Claus from the competence group "Fan Cultures and Sport related social work" (Kofas), it becomes clear that violence decreases in normal fan groups. However, the problem frequently escalates when rival ultra groups, such as those of Halle and Magdeburg, meet. There is a high number of unreported cases of incidents that are often not reported; The police are often not on site at these moments. Cooperation and communication between the association, fans and police authorities are all the more important. [mz.de] (https://www.mz.de/sport/1-fc-magdburg/wehrter-fcm-fcm-fcm-lass-nach-zug-hf-hfc-fans-Eu- Ein- escalation-vertical-avoidance-1230180) emphasizes that arrival and departure always show sensitive points where there are confrontations can.

fan culture in focus

What can be done to avoid such incidents in the future? In this context, the voices of fan projects, clubs and the police are in demand. Deescalation requires mutual trust and intensive relationship work. Even if the passion for your own club achieves emotional heights, it must always be lived responsibly. The 1. FC Magdeburg has announced that it does not offer its own reporting on its club channels for the upcoming game. "The passion for an association must not lead to the loss of a life," said the association in a statement.

It cannot be overlooked that the situation in German football is complex. Trees and riots are part of the game, not only in Magdeburg. For example, in the Rhenish derby between Borussia Mönchengladbach and the 1st FC Köln in 2015, violent arguments were repeatedly observed. Wolfgang Bosbach, the then chairman of the Bundestag Interior Committee, warned of the consequences of violence in the stadium and demanded clear communication between fans and security forces. Deutschlandfunk reports of various initiatives to improve the security and de-escalation of conflicts.

The question remains: how much passion is too much? Incidents such as the tragedy around Hannes S. should all stimulate us to think and rekindle the discussion about the borders of fan culture and violent excesses. The dark side of football can really be averted only through a respectful cooperation. A good start will be the calm and respectful way of dealing with the upcoming game against Halle, which should be in a worthy memory of a deceased fan.