Union wins against Hertha, keeper Gikiewicz against the Ultras

Bundesliga

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If one remembers this first Bundesliga duel between Union Berlin and Hertha BSC in a few years, then pictures will appear in front of an emerging inner eye of a short-sleeved goalie chasing types with hooded faces off the pitch. How he shouts at her and with his forefinger back to the fan-block ordered.

Rafal Gikiewicz may have made sure that Union 1: 0 against Hertha was not even harder to endure than it already was. Shortly after the final whistle, the 32-year-old goalkeeper of the 1. FC Union came in the way of a group of black-dressed people from their own fan camp, which was about to storm towards the guest block. Screams, threatening gestures, then the hooded turned off.

Whether it really was the intervention of Gikiewicz and some of his teammates that prevented an escalation, or whether it was not more of a command of the ultras, is hard to say. But for the vast majority of spectators in the stadium at the Alte Försterei, it gave the impression that this unappetizing first Berlin Bundesliga derby since 1977 finally got a hero. From the ranks came "Gikiewicz, Gikiewicz" shouts.

Annegret Hilse / REUTERS

Normally the hero: Sebastian Polter

"We players have a duty to stop our own fans from doing anything stupid," said Sebastian Polter. Normally the Unioner striker would have been chosen as Derby hero. Only late came in, Polter scored the winner with a penalty kick shortly before the end (87th minute). But the fact that this was not a normal city duel with an emotionalized audience, Polter had already observed with fear from the bench: "I saw from there how rockets went in the direction of my children and my girlfriend terrible, unreasonable, "said the attacker.

28 seconds were played, then flew a first flare from the Hertha block to the stadium roof. A moment later, the next was followed by Union back-of-line Christopher Lenz heading for the post. What happened on the ranks, superimposed from now on the scant footballing performance in the field.

A group of about 30 Ultras had muzzled their faces in the union block on the forest side with white and red and white shawls. From the beginning of the game, she had stood there as a threat, and one wondered why nobody was actually doing anything about it. Also, one could wonder how such a large number of flares in the Hertha fans and Pryofackeln (in both camps) could be overlooked in the control.

"Pull yourself together!"

At the beginning of the second half, the Union and then the Hertha block pyrotechnics exploded - it looked as if the old forester was burning. Then a flares landed just next to Unions co-coach Markus Hoffmann and a second on the lawn. Stadium spokesman Christian work appealed: "It threatens a game crash here, so rip it together!"

However, when it was still burning outside, referee Deniz Aytekin ordered the teams into the catacombs. Aytekin later reported that he had been in intensive exchange with the police, but that they had decided to continue the game after a few minutes. For who knows what would have happened in a crash in a packed stadium with 22,000 spectators.

"The top priority was to bring the game home," Aytekin said, "safety was the biggest concern, I'm just relieved nobody hurt on the pitch, it has nothing to do with football."

Andreas Gora / dpa

Best man on the court: referee Dennis Aytekin

It is quite possible that the real hero of the evening was Aytekin. The 41-year-old headed the fouls-dominated game so well that at least the spirits on the lawn and the coach benches kept normal temperature. And when the rockets cut the Berlin night sky and later burned Unioner Fanutensilien on the fence to the Hertha block, Aytekin never lost his head. "I think the referee also did a part in making it happen without any major incidents," said Union coach Urs Fischer.

When this game, whose footballing quality you have to say no further word, after ten minutes injury time was finally whistled, began the big shelling. More than ten rockets flew out of the Hertha block, striking alongside players and coaches, and also on other parts of the bleachers. "There are dads with their kids," said Hertha coach Ante Covic and demanded: "We also serve as role models in the bends." Part of the Union fans responded with the attempted breakthrough to the opponent who ended at Gikiewicz.

A single disappointment

The damage record of the evening: A Union fan as well as a civil servant were harmed by pyro projectiles fired from the guest block. Another officer was slightly injured in the course of police action. The police initiated in the context of the first Bundesliga duel of both clubs a total of 25 criminal investigations, including for bodily harm, trespassing and property damage. After the game, there were four detentions.

With Union one wants to search for the causers. "As always, we're trying to pinpoint something, but everyone knows it's difficult," said Union press chief Christian Arbeit. It was not for nothing that some of the participants were masked. That sounded very like resignation.

That Berlin derby could have been so much: A game with a certain symbolism one week before the anniversary of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. A moment in which the otherwise internationally so little respected German capital football finally gets attention. In the end, it was a disappointment.

"The best thing about this game was," said Hertha's manager Michael Preetz, "that I could barely see anything from my seat."