Sports violence in the regional league
Cottbus coach Wollitz fears for his life because of BFC fans
Status: 04.05.2024 | Reading time: 2 minutes
Cottbus coach Claus-Dieter “Pele” Wollitz reports stones being thrown and attacks by fans
Source: dpa/Robert Michael
Claus-Dieter Wollitz is pelted with stones and threatened by BFC Dynamo fans. The coach of Energie Cottbus was very emotional after the game in the regional league. And criticizes the association for the weak security precautions.
Bad scenes in the regional league top game BFC Dynamo against Energie Cottbus (0:2): According to his own statements, energy coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz was massively threatened and had stones thrown at him by Berlin fans.
Wollitz said on MDR: “I’m used to being insulted, especially here. But the fact that you have to be afraid that stones will be thrown at you during the game, that you will be threatened, is unimaginable in my system in 2024. This is no longer aggression, it’s way beyond that.”
BFC fans set fire to fan paraphernalia
Both fan camps have been enemies for years. There were also unpleasant scenes at the game on Saturday. BFC supporters set fire to Cottbus fan paraphernalia in their block in the first half. The mood was heated, police officers marched inside. The game had to be stopped for around 20 minutes.
Even after the restart, there were said to be further threats and hostility behind the Cottbuser Bank. Wollitz: “If we had played at BFC ten match days before the end, I would never have come here because my life and my responsibility towards my players, my family and my friends are more important to me. Because when you’re threatened like that, you don’t know how far these people will go.”
Cottbus coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz gestures on the sidelines
Source: dpa/Robert Michael
Wollitz also criticized the association for what he saw as lax security measures in the stadium and around the game. Little consolation for the Cottbus coach: After the 2-0 win, his team still has promotion in their own hands two game days before the end of the season.
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If the return to the third division is successful, Wollitz and his Cottbus team will no longer have to go to the BFC next season. Wollitz said: “I don’t want to go through that again.”
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The text was written for the Sports Competence Center (WELT, SPORT BILD, BILD) and first published in BILD.