Hertha Berlin has appealed its relegation to the Bundesliga 2 on the grounds that the second leg of its playoff with Fortuna Duesseldorf should be replayed because a double field invasion left its
players fearing for their safety.
The second leg in Duesseldorf ended in a 2-2 tie, allowing Fortuna to win the series, 4-3, on aggregate. But the game at the Espirit Arena was twice
interrupted as fans ran on the field and fired flares. Hertha players were reluctant to return after a mass invasion by fans late in stoppage time.
"For us, the game was irregular,
because it was no longer just about a competitive match," said Hertha's lawyer, Christoph Schickhardt. "The sole purpose of restarting the game was to
hinder any further escalation of trouble. According to the DFB statutes, a game under these circumstances is not considered valid and has to be replayed."
The German federation has
launched an investigation after the ugly scenes were broadcast live on German TV.
Carlos Thys
