Rioting broke out before the third division match between Arminia Bielefeld and Rot-Weiss Essen. An entire pub was ripped apart.

There was serious rioting on Sunday before the third division match between the traditional clubs Arminia Bielefeld and Rot-Weiss Essen (1:1). According to local Bielefeld media reports, soccer fans from both camps clashed in the city center. The police arrested several rioters.

There was a violent altercation in a Bielefeld fan pub. As reported by the newspaper “Bild”, around 80 masked thugs, who are assigned to the active Bielefeld fan scene, attacked a smaller group of around 15 RWE fans in a beer garden. The Essen fans defended themselves and the people involved hit each other with tables and chairs.

The pub was badly vandalized. Televisions and glass panes were smashed. The damage to property amounted to several thousand euros. The violent criminals only fled when a hundred-strong police force arrived. According to the Bild report, around 20 of them were caught and several arrests were made.

The owner of the pub told Bild about the incident: “It was like a movie. I was tapping a beer when suddenly 80 masked Arminians stormed the bar. They were after a group of ten to 15 Rot-Weiss-Essen fans. And I was right in the middle of it”, the owner is quoted as saying.

Arminia Bielefeld – RWE: pub owner demands apology

After the brawl in his pub, the owner of the fan pub filed a complaint. The leader of the Bielefeld Ultra group is said to have assured him that he would cover “all costs”. However, the restaurateur also expects an apology: “If the Ultras don’t apologize publicly, they are no longer welcome here. “

3100 RWE fans accompanied their team to Bielefeld on Sunday. A total of 23,748 spectators watched the game on the Alm. Rot-Weiss Essen came from a goal behind at the break to win a point thanks to Cedric Harenbrock’s goal (61st)