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More than 2,000 Schalke fans thronged the pitch to celebrate promotion after beating St. Pauli
Photo: IMAGO/Revierfoto
According to the security authorities, the rushing of football fans after the games of 1. FC Köln and FC Schalke 04 could have had dramatic consequences.
Above all, the jubilation in Gelsenkirchen: "This space storm could have ended in a catastrophe," said the senior police director Peter Both.
Both clubs face consequences.
The control committee of the German Football Association (DFB) has started investigations after the incidents, as a DFB spokesman confirmed.
The clubs were asked to comment.
According to the police, 18 people were injured in Gelsenkirchen, nine of them seriously.
More than 2,000 fans are said to have crowded the field, with falls and injuries reportedly already occurring in the stands.
Destroyed Lawn
"We hope that people will recover quickly and wish the injured a speedy recovery," said a spokesman for FC Schalke.
The crowds on the pitch have left their mark.
The club said the lawn was over and no longer playable.
In Cologne, too, numerous spectators ran onto the pitch after the final whistle to celebrate their team and secure souvenirs, for example in the form of pieces of pitch.
The club said that they had taken many safety precautions and also appealed to the fans not to storm the interior.
Additional fences had been put up and the visitors were to be kept away from it with announcements.
There were no injuries in the stadium.
see/dpa
