Riot at the main train station: St. Pauli fans are sent off!

Riot at the main train station: St. Pauli fans are sent off!

On October 26, 2025, a turbulent incident occurred that heated the minds of football fans in Germany. 270 FC St. Pauli supporters were sent off, denying them access to the Bundesliga game against Eintracht Frankfurt. This drastic measure was ordered by the Frankfurt police and spread by the FC St. Pauli fan aid team via social media, such as Süddeutsche** reports.

The reasons for the expulsion lie in a scandalous incident at the main train station in Hanover. There, around 50 fans of FC St. Pauli and VfL Wolfsburg got into an argument that ended with bottles being thrown and physical injuries. The two groups of fans met by chance while traveling to the away games, with Wolfsburg being on the way to Hamburg. The police had to intervene and separate the groups in order to prevent major riots. Despite the measures, not only were bottles thrown, but construction site barriers were also used. There were also several seizures at the main train station, as the federal police announced in court.

Reactions and protests

In the aftermath of these riots, the president of FC St. Pauli, Oke Göttlich, was critical of the residence and city bans that had been issued, which he described as collective punishment. During an appearance on the ZDF sports studio, he questioned the proportionality of the police measures. Divine sees the authorities' decisions as excessive.

At the same time, protests by St. Pauli fans took place during the game against Eintracht Frankfurt. These were directed against Wolfsburg striker Kevin Behrens, who had come under criticism for homophobic comments. Despite his apology and a fine that he had to pay to VfL, Behrens remained part of the squad and was substituted on in the 89th minute. The fan base protested with rainbow flags and a banner bearing the message “More love, less Kevin Behrens.” However, VfL sports director Sebastian Schindzielorz defended Behrens, calling his behavior a clear misstep for which he had already been punished.

A look at fan violence

These incidents reopen the debate about fan violence. Statistics show a worrying increase in violent fan groups. According to the Central Information Center for Sports Operations (ZIS), the number of such people rose from 9,685 in the 2010/11 season to 11,373 in the 2011/12 season. These developments are not only alarming, but also call for a deeper examination of the causes and consequences of fan behavior in football.

The revised perception of fan violence, also in connection with police measures and the fan groups' own behavior, complicates the situation. It seems clear: the football landscape is increasingly characterized by a fine line between passion and aggression.