Officials at Rot-Weiss Essen have once again had to address the misconduct of some Essen fans this season. Now, a new effort is underway to find solutions to the problem.

Rot-Weiss Essen is currently facing ongoing problems with a small portion of its fan base. This group is causing RWE to repeatedly receive negative publicity nationwide.

In March, referee Fabienne Michel was subjected to severe verbal abuse by RWE fans during an away game in Verl. As a result, RWE was fined 20,000 euros. Michel also filed a civil complaint.

Then, during the match against Schweinfurt, flyers were distributed in the Westkurve section. They outlined the “seven principles for W2.” The final point on the flyer caused trouble once again: “No women in the front rows.” The flyer drew negative nationwide attention.

And now, in the match against Energie Cottbus, there was not only a home loss, but RWE fans also drew negative attention in two ways. A member of the refereeing crew was struck in the head by a plastic cup thrown from the main stand. The perpetrator has not yet been identified.

Well after the game, some Essen fans gathered in the West Stand to lead discriminatory chants directed at the visitors’ section. “Hey, let’s get this party started, we’ll deport them all,” was among the chants. Both the lyrics and the melody clearly reference the AfD’s “deportation song.”

Essen’s officials quickly and clearly distanced themselves from these chants and from the cup-thrower. In the fifth episode of “Was geht, RWE?”, an internal YouTube series, Essen board member Alexander Rang announced how the club plans to address this problem.

First, however, he reiterated his stance on these appalling chants: “These incidents have left us pensive and saddened. We cannot understand or tolerate these chants. This brings us back to our bylaws and our fundamental stance. After we already had a major discussion following the Schweinfurt match, we now have another one. The club has once again been clearly harmed.”

That’s why efforts are now being made to bring together representatives from many different sectors. Rang explains: “We’ve launched the Fan Working Group. Key stakeholders from all areas are participating: the police, the city, the fan representative on the supervisory board, another member of the supervisory board, the FFA (Fan and Support Department), and the AWO. In other words, everyone who bears responsibility on game day. We expect the working group to discuss precisely these issues and find solutions.”

So that in the future, we can focus more on the sport itself rather than these side issues. After all, they end up costing the club money time and again—such as the cup-throwing incident.

Rang’s appeal: “This issue will also have financial implications for us. We’re grateful for any tips that help identify the person who threw the cup. It’s unacceptable for individual people to jeopardize the overall result.”