Banner dispute delays German soccer game between Bochum and Frankfurt
Frankfurt fans waits for a delayed kick-off of the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfL Bochum and Eintracht Frankfurt at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion. in Bochum, Germany, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (Anke Wälischmiller/dpa via AP)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Anke Wälischmiller]
BOCHUM, Germany (AP) — A dispute over fan banners blocking emergency exits caused kickoff to be delayed by nearly an hour in a German Bundesliga game between Bochum and Eintracht Frankfurt. The referee sent both teams back to the locker rooms after attempts to persuade visiting Frankfurt fans to remove the banners from certain areas of the security fence initially failed. The game eventually kicked off 50 minutes late after the banners were removed and both teams conducted a second warm-up. Frankfurt won the game 3-1.
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A notice on a scoreboard announces that Eintracht fans' banners are blocking an escape gate ahead of the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfL Bochum and Eintracht Frankfurt at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion. in Bochum, Germany, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (Anke Wälischmiller/dpa via AP)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Anke Wälischmiller