Fans of Borussia Dortmund and Rot-Weiss Essen have attacked Schalke supporters. The police are looking anxiously to the Revier derby in March.

After the brutal attack on FC Schalke 04 supporters, the police are looking with concern to the district derby of the Bundesliga football team against Borussia Dortmund on 11 March. Investigators assume that the attackers belong to the fan scene of Schalke’s Ruhr area rivals Borussia Dortmund and Rot-Weiss Essen.

“We appeal to the clubs and both fan camps not to let the situation escalate further in the coming weeks,” a police spokesman said on Monday. He added, however, that it could not be ruled out that the attack on the Schalke ultras “will result in a reaction”. The derby between Schalke and Dortmund is considered a high-risk match anyway.

According to police, more than 100 people ready to use violence had attacked several hundred Schalke fans in Gelsenkirchen early on Sunday morning, who were just meeting up for the trip to the away game at 1. FC Union Berlin. According to the police, a mass brawl broke out. The attackers had baseball bats and other striking tools with them, the police spokesman said. Four people were seriously injured, including a bus driver. By the time the police arrived, the attackers had already disappeared.

The police are now investigating for breach of the peace and dangerous bodily harm. At the moment, several video recordings of the brawl are being analysed in order to identify the attackers.