Enlarge image
Traveling Werder fans in the Wolfsburg guest block
Photo: Swen Pförtner / dpa
Those responsible for the Bundesliga clubs Werder Bremen and VfL Wolfsburg have massively criticized the actions of the police at Wolfsburg Central Station against Bremen fans.
"I'm actually expecting a political correction from the decision-makers, because that can't stand still and mustn't be repeated," said Werder President Hubertus Hess-Grunewald on Sky after Saturday's 2-2 win at VfL Wolfsburg.
Before the game in the Bundesliga, several ultras had found the searches and personal identification of the officials disproportionate and had not shown up to the game in protest.
Videos on social media show fans surrounded by several police officers from emergency vehicles and receiving the officials' announcement that the supporters are not allowed to stay in the city area and are only allowed to go to the stadium.
Wolfsburg's sports director Jörg Schmadtke also criticized this approach on Sunday.
“If that's the norm for officers, it calls the whole police work into question.
It can't be that the police intervene before you've even done anything," he told the "Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung".
“I looked at the pictures from the operation.
I am dismayed.
That is a disgrace for the football location Wolfsburg.«
The Wolfsburg police referred to the supposed necessity of the searches to avert danger.
The action was intended to prevent "clashes between fan groups," the authority wrote on Twitter.
Werder's professional football director Clemens Fritz was surprised: "I don't understand it.
I don't know who decided that and I don't know who wanted to do that, but I think it's cheeky.«
Werder grumbles about "competitive disadvantage"
According to Werder President Hess-Grunewald, everyone should ask themselves what kind of football and what kind of country they want.
"A free country or one that has to compete with other countries that we don't see as free," he asked.
Werder tweeted that the Ultras' departure represented "a clear competitive disadvantage" for the game.
Fritz said both clubs agreed that the game posed no risk.
»Curtaining our fans, searching them at the train station and wanting to take personal details.
I mean: Nobody did anything.« In the past few years it had »always been quiet«.
"I don't understand that," added the former Werder professional.
In the past, the security situation for games between Wolfsburg and Bremen was usually classified as "green", i.e. largely risk-free, in a traffic light system.
"The fact that the Wolfsburg police then come to the conclusion that this is a red game and in advance - without anything happening - takes such serious, liberty-depriving measures, I have to say that is extremely worrying," said Hess-Grunewald.
cev/dpa
