A death in the stadium overshadowed the derby between MSV and RWE – what followed was a heated debate about respect, morality, and the limits of fan behavior.
The rivalry between MSV Duisburg and Rot-Weiss Essen has been one of the most emotional in the region for decades. But what unfolded around the 2025 Lower Rhine Cup final and the subsequent derbies went far beyond the usual fan conflicts. Soccer became a sideshow to a highly sensitive and extremely stressful human issue.
During the Lower Rhine Cup final in May, a medical emergency occurred in the spectator area. An MSV fan collapsed, had to be resuscitated in the stands, and was then taken to the hospital, where he later died. A moment that normally brings every stadium to a standstill.
Initially, both sets of fans stopped cheering. But after an announcement at half-time, the atmosphere picked up again. The loud cheering from the Essen block, including loud celebrations after the final whistle, left a lasting impression on many Duisburg fans. The RWE supporters assumed that the MSV fan in hospital was on the road to recovery. Immediately after the game, MSV coach Dietmar Hirsch made an unusually emotional statement. He spoke of “bottomless disrespect” and said that it was inconceivable to him how anyone could return to business as usual at such a moment.
MSV banner with strong language – next derby in April
These statements intensified the debate considerably. While many MSV supporters understood Hirsch’s words as an expression of shock and helplessness, RWE officials and fans felt that the accusations were sweeping, unfair, and emotionally exaggerated. They pointed out that not everyone in the block had been informed about the exact situation and that, as already mentioned, the announcements at half-time had played a role.
It was already becoming clear that the issue was not over. At the subsequent derby in the 3rd division at the end of October, MSV fans took up the events again – this time unfiltered, publicly and unambiguously.
A banner was unfurled in the Duisburg curve, which – deliberately provocatively – repeated the accusation that RWE fans had shown “support and cheering during a death struggle.” The choice of words was drastic (“Dishonorable cunts RWE”), the message clear: from the MSV fans’ point of view, the behavior at the time was not a misunderstanding, but an ethical transgression that they did not want to forget – or forgive. The harshness of the banner in particular showed how deep the pain and anger still ran. It went far beyond soccer and the usual rivalry. The next duel between the two teams will take place on the first weekend in April.