Record fine for 1. FC Köln. The DFB control committee demands over half a million euros for pyrotechnics in the derby against Mönchengladbach.
Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln is being asked to pay up by the DFB Control Committee for setting off pyrotechnics by its fans in the derby against Borussia Mönchengladbach (3:1) – and how: The €595,000 is a new record for misconduct by its own fans!
The club was allowed to “invest 198,000 euros of this amount in its own security and violence prevention measures”.
The Rhine metropolis does not agree with this sum at all and questions the sense of the entire catalog of penalties. “In our view, this approach is completely misguided. Awarding penalties in this form is far removed from the reality of German soccer and fan culture. We will therefore continue to actively and emphatically campaign for a sensible adjustment of the sentencing guidelines and for an appropriate approach to this very culture,” explained FC Managing Director Jens Keller.
Numerous lit Bengalos and smoke pots in the Cologne block had delayed the kick-off of the derby on matchday 8 by six minutes. The high sum of over half a million euros is due to the fact that each pyro element is penalized individually with a fine of 1000 euros.
Keller continues: “The derby was intensively prepared by our security and fan representatives as well as the security authorities. Basically, this case shows once again that a general ban on pyrotechnics in soccer does not have sufficient effect. For the active fan scene, the use of pyrotechnics is part of soccer and fan culture. But: no red lines must be crossed.”
Although this was the case in the derby, Cologne have applied for a reduction in the fine. “Specifically, the safety of spectators must be guaranteed at all times and there must be no impact on the sporting events. These limits were clearly exceeded against Gladbach. This also results in enormous financial damage. The high fine hits FC very hard on the way to the fastest possible economic recovery,” emphasized Keller.
