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Detonation at the guest block: First responders spread a screen for the injured at the Bundesliga game between Augsburg and Hoffenheim

Photo: Klaus Rainer Krieger / Krieger / IMAGO

Fan riots and pyrotechnic incidents in stadiums regularly cause outrage and criticism among football officials - in Bavaria, the head of the association can now direct a criminal case against a spectator in a criminal case because of a serious firecracker thrown.

Christoph Kern, President of the Bavarian Football Association (BFV), has been assigned in his main job as a judge at the Augsburg Regional Court for the trial that is pending after the scandal in the Bundesliga game Augsburg against Hoffenheim.

According to investigators, 14 people were injured when the firecracker exploded in the Augsburg Arena on November 11th.

According to the court, a total of four days of hearings are planned for the trial until mid-April.

The main defendant, who is in custody, faces a prison sentence of several years.

Request for bias by the defense

Because of Kern's voluntary work as a football official, the defense filed a motion for bias before the trial.

But this had already been rejected, court spokeswoman Stefanie Nicka reported on Tuesday.

Bayerischer Rundfunk first reported on it.

Because of the explosion, the game (1:1) was interrupted for several minutes in the fall.

According to the public prosecutor's office, a so-called Mamba firecracker, which had "enormous detonation power," was deliberately thrown from the visitors' block in the direction of the playing field.

There were also children among the 14 injured, and the spectators suffered blast trauma.

In addition, FC Augsburg players who were warming up nearby were at risk.

After the firecracker was ignited, the police arrested two 28-year-old men from the Göppingen area during the game.

Both were taken into custody.

One of the two was released after a few days because, following further investigations, he was no longer considered a direct accomplice.

There is a risk of several years in prison

The main accused is accused of causing an explosive explosion, for which, according to the public prosecutor's office, the law in this case provides for two to 15 years in prison, as well as causing grievous bodily harm.

According to investigators, the firecracker caused “a violent, deafening explosion and a bright flash.”

"The firecracker that was thrown was a pyrotechnic object for which an explosives permit is required in Germany and whose explosive effect significantly exceeds fireworks approved in Germany," said the public prosecutor's office.

Three other defendants are to answer for aiding and abetting in the trial.

They are said to have supported the main defendant, among other things, by waving a fan flag in order to make it easier to commit the crime.

Hoffenheim had announced that the perpetrators would be banned from their own stadium for life.

»There is no place for such people in the Hoffenheim curve.

Never again,” said TSG managing director Alexander Rosen.

A few weeks ago, the club received a mild fine of 20,000 euros from the German Football Association for throwing the firecrackers.

The DFB sports court praised Hoffenheim's "exemplary behavior" in dealing with the incident.

ara/dpa