Hertha Berlin’s Genki Haraguchi (left) and Hoffenheim’s Sebastian Rudy vie for the ball during the Bundesliga match at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin yesterday. (AFP)
AFP/Berlin
Hertha Berlin held onto fourth spot in the Bundesliga yesterday as an own-goal during a freak blizzard in Germany’s capital sealed their 1-0 win over bottom side Hoffenheim.
There was a minute’s silence out of respect for the victims of the Paris terror attacks, but snow began to fall just after kick-off at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium and the referee soon had to call for an orange ball.
Hertha profited most from the winter weather when Hoffenheim defender Eugen Polanski got a slight touch on the ball, which he headed into his own net on 30 minutes when trying to clear a free-kick.
The pitch was cleared of snow during the break and the result masked a poor result for Berlin, who managed just a single shot all game, while the defeat leaves Hoffenheim at the foot of the table.
On Saturday, Javi Martinez scored his first goal since August 2013 for Bayern Munich as their 3-1 win at Schalke 04 opened an eight-point lead in the table. After second-placed Borussia Dortmund’s shock 3-1 defeat at Hamburg on Friday, Pep Guardiola’s Bayern took their chance to extend their lead. David Alaba’s early goal was cancelled out by Schalke’s Max Meyer before Martinez, then Thomas Mueller struck for Bayern.
Germany striker Max Kruse netted twice in Wolfsburg’s 6-0 rout of Werder Bremen.
Bayern
apologise
after fans’
‘inexplicable’
rampage
Munich: Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has apologised for the ‘inexplicable’ behaviour of fans of the club who went on the rampage in Gelsenkirchen after Saturday’s 3-1 Bundesliga win at Schalke.
“For me, and all of us (at Bayern), it is absolutely inexplicable, especially in these moments after the terrible experiences in Paris, to act so disrespectfully towards society and football,” fumed Rummenigge.
“Bayern Munich dissociates itself unequivocally with these so-called supporters of our club. I apologise to Schalke and to all those who suffered damage.”
Rummenigge said the reigning German champions are in conversation with the authorities in Gelsenkirchen and wants to see those Bayern fans involved in Saturday’s violent scenes face charges.
According to police, a group of Bayern fans, in co-operation with a gang of fans from second-division side VfL Bochum, stormed the ticket office at Schalke’s Veltins Arena in ‘an extremely violent attack’.
A police spokesman said 196 football supporters were detained, several arrests were made and there were some injuries in the fracas after police intervened. Bochum have also apologised for their fans’ behaviour and Schalke’s sporting director Horst Heldt admitted he was bemused by the incident.
“It was unnecessary and totally out of place. I don’t understand what fans of a second-division club would want to do in the away section at our ground,” said Heldt.
