The German Football Federation Sports Ground has awarded Bochum a 2-0 victory over Union Berlin after the team's goalkeeper was hit by a fire starter during their Bundesliga match in December.
It is only Bochum's second victory of the season. The match on 14 December ended 1–1 after Drewes was hit by the object as he prepared to take a goal kick in extra time. Referee Martin Petersen suspended the match and led both teams off the field after Drewes sat down and received medical treatment. Bundesliga 2024–25: Jamal Musiala is doubtful due to illness ahead of Bayern Munich's match against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Stephan Oberholz, the presiding judge, said on Thursday that the court should assume that “Bochum goalkeeper Patrick Drewes was injured when a lighter was thrown at his head and was therefore limited in his ability to play. This led to a weakening of the Bochum team, which was caused by a Berlin spectator and is therefore attributable to Union Berlin according to the legal and procedural rules of the federation.”
Drewes was replaced by striker Philipp Hofmann when the game resumed almost half an hour later. Both teams agreed not to try to score for the remaining three minutes. Bochum CEO Ilja Kaenzig said at the time that his club would lodge a formal protest against the result, arguing that the referee should not have restarted the match. Union can appeal against the decision of the sports court within a week. Bundesliga 2024–25: Union Berlin brings former player Steffen Baumgart back to the Club as head coach.
“The ruling contradicts our legal opinion that the match ended well according to the referee's decision with a sporting score of 1-1,” said Union spokesman Christian Arbeit.
Arbeit added that the club will decide whether to appeal once it receives the court's written reasons for its decision. The win would lift Bochum from the bottom of the division, while Union would remain 12th in the 18-team division.
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