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Folders and players (here Aymen Barkok) pass the tennis balls to each other

Photo: Maja Hitij / Getty Images

Tennis balls kept flying out of the east corner of the Hertha fans, and some even brought small catapults with them. And just when you thought that nothing more would come, new balls flew onto the field: A break of more than half an hour due to protests against the investor plans of the German Football League (DFL) was the focus of Hamburger SV's victory in the top second division game at Hertha BSC. In the meantime the teams had left the pitch.

The game, which ended 2-1 (0-0) for the new second-placed HSV in the Olympic Stadium on Saturday evening, was about to be canceled. Protests with tennis balls or chocolate coins against the planned investor entry into the DFL have been part of everyday life in the league for several weeks, but what was new was the length of the protest, which lasted almost 30 minutes.

»More and more balls came from one side and the other. We tried to wait. We tried to influence the players and the coach. At some point we had to draw conclusions," said referee Daniel Schlager on Sport1 and added: "No referee wants a game to be canceled because of this. Theoretically it would have been possible. If there had been another interruption, Schlager would have had no choice.

"If we go into the catacombs, then that's really the last resort," said the referee, according to Kicker. The game would probably have been stopped if more balls had been thrown onto the grass after the restart. "That's hypothetical, but we definitely weren't far off," said Schlager.

Hertha's managing director Thomas Herrich criticized the length of the fan protest, but also showed understanding for the concerns of his club's supporters. »I completely understand the criticism. It is completely legitimate to take actions and express criticism. The manner is different. That took too long for me," said the 59-year-old after the second division game. "That disrupted the flow of the game."

From the 53rd minute onwards, tennis balls kept flying onto the field from the Hertha corner. Appeals from Hertha coach Pál Dárdai and the stadium announcer initially had no effect. After the game had been interrupted for around 20 minutes, referee Schlager sent the players off the field. Dárdai said he had “a bit of a feeling” that there could be a cancellation: “I spoke to the fans and they didn’t want that either. They kept their word.”

The teams returned at the end of the throws and the game clock was reset to 52:30 minutes. The Hertha fans had recently rolled up their banner with the inscription “Finally stop investor madness, whether in the DFL or in the clubs”.

After the restart, HSV, who were clearly the better team in the first half, took the lead with an easy long-range shot from Miro Muheim (57th minute). Shortly afterwards, HSV keeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes was only able to parry a shot from Hertha's key player Fabian Reese, who came on as a substitute. Tabakovic won (62'). Ludovit Reis, who had just come into the game, headed the guests to victory in the final phase (83').

Herrich fears financial consequences after the protest. Sports director Benjamin Weber praised referee Daniel Schlager's calm reaction.

jan/dpa