There was a friendly hug from the mascot Ritter Keule, and the fans shouted his name loudly.
"Luthe, Luthe, Luthe," it echoed through the Olympic Stadium.
One would have thought that Andreas Luthe had just helped Union Berlin to an important victory - but the opposite was the case.
The fatal slip of the otherwise so reliable goalkeeper was the sticking point for the unnecessary 1: 2 (1: 1) defeat in the highly explosive European Cup game against Feyenoord Rotterdam.
With bowed head, Luthe stood in front of the supporters after the final whistle.
If you want to understand Union's sometimes unusual football orbit, you just had to look closely on this soaking wet evening in the Olympic Stadium, on which, according to the police, there were no further incidents with violent fans from the Netherlands, at least in the hours immediately after the game.
Allegations to the unlucky fellow?
No.
Instead, encouragement, encouragement and, above all, coming to terms with a defeat that further diminishes the chances of hibernating in the Conference League - and reveals the international naivete of the Iron.
“Football is a game of mistakes.
That was one mistake too many.
That turned the game around, ”was the sober conclusion of Union coach Urs Fischer.
Rebuild Luthe?
Not necessary.
Work up the game?
Secure.
Because even more than Luthe's slip in front of the Feyenoord winning goal by Cyriel Dessers (72nd minute) worried the coach the many missed chances and also the two dismissals against goal scorer Christopher Trimmel and Cedric Teuchert in the final phase. “There is certainly one thing or the other to address,” said Fischer - even before the next game on Sunday (5.30 p.m. / DAZN) in the Bundesliga at 1. FC Köln.
They do not fear long-term damage from the moral blow at Union. "I'm not worried that anything happened or broken in the team," said defense chief Robin Knoche. Much is clearer now in the Conference League. There are only realistic chances of advancing in Group E for the bottom of the table with two wins at Maccabi Haifa (November 25th) and against Slavia Prague (December 9th). "You need two wins, and then we'll see how things stand," said Fischer.
The Berlin police recorded no further incidents or riots during the night. “It was all calm. We can say that the security concept worked, ”said the police on Friday morning. Immediately after the European Cup match in the Olympic Stadium, the security forces reported that both fan camps had left the camp without a hitch. The police had accompanied the high-risk game with around 2,000 officers. More than 70 people, the majority of them from the Netherlands, had been arrested for various offenses, especially on Wednesday, and remained in custody during the game.
Immediately before the game, the police reported of individual attacks, property damage and the burning of pyro torches near the stadium and in Berlin subway stations. The feared big confrontation between the fan camps could be prevented. A graffiti campaign at the East Side Gallery on Wednesday caused a sensation. In the stadium, the Feyenoord supporters burned down numerous Bengalos shortly before and after the kick-off and threw them into the interior. There was no visible misconduct on the part of the supporters in the Union block.
Feyenoord distanced itself from the appearance of the supporters known to be violent.
“In our eyes they are not fans.
Because being a fan means supporting, and these figures do not help our club in any way, they damage Feyenoord, ”said a club spokesman.
“We reject all forms of bad behavior.
If you are a guest in a city, then you have to behave normally. "