A DFB sports judge has subsequently apologized for an unsuccessful reasoning.
Lawyer Stephan Oberholz from the German Football Association described his comparison of the riots by fans of FC Hansa Rostock with images of war from Ukraine in a statement from the association as "inappropriate".
He wants to apologize for that.
At the hearing about the Rostockers' objection to a fine imposed by the DFB, Hansa CEO Robert Marien sharply criticized the judge's words.
"I interrupted him and asked: "Aren't you ashamed to compare FC Hansa with a war of aggression and thousands of deaths?" That's a no-go and requires an apology," said Marien of "Bild am Sonntag".
"DFB will never tolerate that"
Because Oberholz did not initially react to it, the Hansa official is said to have left the meeting at the DFB prematurely.
Oberholz apologized to Marien in a phone call on Saturday, the DFB said.
"I can't deny that the scenes reminded me of images we see on the news every day now.
Nevertheless, my choice of words and the comparison in the reasoning of the judgment were inappropriate.
That's why I apologize for it, ”said sports judge Oberholz.
For him, there is nothing worse in the stadium “than pyrotechnics being shot at random into the crowd.
The most serious injuries to innocent people are accepted with approval.
We as the DFB will never tolerate that in the future," said the 57-year-old.
The background to the DFB negotiations were riots with pyrotechnics during the Rostock game against FC St. Pauli in April.
This Sunday (1.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the 2nd Bundesliga and on Sky) the two teams will meet again in Rostock.