• Hamburg’s game against Hannover was temporarily suspended on Friday
  • Away fans protested against their club’s owners by chaining locks to the goals
  • CHRIS SUTTON: Erik ten Hag is still on trial. He needs more than gradual improvement this season to keep his job – It’s All Kicking Off podcast 

Hamburg’s Bundesliga 2 defeat against Hannover was temporarily suspended at half-time amid crowd trouble among away fans at the Volksparkstadion. 

Hannover fans had appeared to chain locks to the goalposts inside the ground in protest to the club’s owners. 

Fans in the away end had also held up banners that depicted Hannover chairman chairman Martin Kind between a crosshair. 

Members of the stadium staff were seen on the pitch cutting the locks with an angle grinder before the match resumed, with Sebastian Ernst scoring in the eighth minute of injury time to seal a dramatic 4-3 victory for Hannover that also saw two red cards. 

Amid the crowd trouble, Hannover goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler was also seen on the live coverage of the match stepping over the advertising hordings and approaching the away fans. 

Hamburg's Bundesliga 2 match against Hannover was temporarily suspended after away supporters held up a banner of their owner in a crosshair

Hamburg’s Bundesliga 2 match against Hannover was temporarily suspended after away supporters held up a banner of their owner in a crosshair

Fans had also attached several locks to the goal posts inside the stadium in protest

Fans had also attached several locks to the goal posts inside the stadium in protest

The captain was seen walking up to the supporters in an attempt to quel the crowd trouble. 

Their protests were in relation to the Hannover’s decision to vote in favour of the Gereman Football Association’s (DFL) proposals to acquire new strategic investment partners. 

The plans would see the DFL negotiate a deal to sell an eight per cent stake of the the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2’s media rights to private equity firms. 

Back in December 24 clubs across the top two divisions voted infavour of the proposals that could bring in around bring in approximately £683million (€800m) and £853m (€1billion) in revenue. 

The DFL currently makes approximately £170m (€200m) in television revenue, according to SportsPro Media. 

Bloomberg states that several private equity firms, including CVC Capital Partners and Blackstone Group, have already tabled bids to buy the rights. 

But the move has been met with much animosity among fans, who believe the move could come as a detriment to their clubs. 

Fans are anxious that the new investment could see stakeholders put TV viewers and the media company’s rights above those of fans who go to the games. 

Similar scenes have been unfolding around the German top divisions in the past two weeks, with Dortmund’s game against Freiburg being suspended for ten minutes on Friday night after fans threw tennis balls and coins onto the pitch. 

Grounds staff stepped onto the pitch to remove the locks that had been attached to the goals

Grounds staff stepped onto the pitch to remove the locks that had been attached to the goals

It comes amid widespread protests over the DFL's proposals to sell a minority stake in the media rights for the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2

It comes amid widespread protests over the DFL’s proposals to sell a minority stake in the media rights for the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2

Even without the temporary suspension, Hamburg and Hannover played out an eventful game that had seven goals and a red card and an own goal.

The visitors would take a 2-0 lead after just 21 minutes with Nicolo Tresoldi finding the back of the net first, before Hamburg’s Guilherme Ramos would fire a cross into the back of his own net. 

Laszlo Benes, would pull one back soon after for the home side, before Louis Schaub rifled a shot in to make it 3-1. Dennis Hadzikadunic would head in after half-time for Hamburg to give them a glimmer of hope before Benes struck his second of the match to even things up. 

There was more drama as both he and Hadzikadunic would be sent off late on in the game, with Ernst sealing the win for Hamburg. 

BundesligaFacebook Reporter Shift



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Post source: Daily mail

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