Bayern Munich fans interrupt DFB-Pokal clash with Drochtersen/Assel to protest

Bayern Munich were far from their best during Saturday’s narrow DFB-Pokal win over FC Drochtersen/Assel, and their traveling fans didn’t put on their best behavior, either. Midway through the second half, the Bayern fans seated in the temporary seating away block forced a pause to the match after throwing beach balls and rolls of receipt paper on to the pitch.

The act was apparently a protest aimed at both the DFL and DFB for over-commercialization of the failure of two governing bodies to engage in dialogue about financial matters that was promised to fans. Talks were supposed to begin approximately a year ago but never actually happened. It’s worth mentioning, too, that DFB President Reinhard Grindel was in attendance at the Kehdinger Stadium for the match.

Sandro Wagner diplomatically appealed to the fans to cease their protest while he warmed up on the touchlines, but he had to ask twice before the fans finally settled down as he helped the groundsmen in their cleanup efforts. In total, the game was interrupted for all of five minutes and thirty-two seconds, giving the Drochtersen players a good chunk of time to catch their breath after spending the majority of the match chasing Bayern in possession.

(Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)

Across the bottom section of seats in the away block, the Bayern fans displayed a banner that voiced their frustration with both the DFB and DFL with a promise that they’ll be making their collective voice heard. The banner read: “DFB, DFL & co. — You’ll be hearing from us!”

In what was a theme for Bundesliga clubs across the first round of matches in the DFB-Pokal, other sets of fans also made efforts to show their displeasure with the DFB and DFL during their respective matches. The ultras of 1. FC Nürnberg put up a choreo with the DFB’s emblem and the slogan: “Auf ganzer Linie versagt,” that is, “A complete and utter failure.” Fans of Bayer Leverkusen also told the DFB that it would hear from them. They moreover put up a banner that read as follows:

“An agreement with the DFB is not worth paper it’s written on.”

Bayern’s ultras have used fake money or receipt paper on a few separate occasions now within the past year. The through fake euros onto the pitch at Anderlecht in the Champions League to protest UEFA’s jack in prices for way tickets, threw fake euros at Neymar during the Champions League match vs Paris Saint-Germain at the Allianza Arena, and most recently, the receipt rolls tossed onto the pitch during the Drotchersen match. Truth be told, Bayern fans are no strangers to protesting financial greed from any of European football’s governing bodies and certainly have a knack for making themselves heard.

Also, don’t forget those hideous mint-green away jerseys. The widely disliked away kits were also a small part of the protests at the Kehdinger Stadium. The Ultras are not letting this fashion abomination go:

The club colors are red and white.

This is now the second time within he past couple of months that Bayern fans have protested the new kits. During their last home match of the season vs. VfB Stuttgart last year, the fans in the sudkurve at the Allianz Arena displayed a banner revealing their hatred towards the navy blue shorts that accompany the red home kit. The banner read: “Our club colors are red and white / what’s up with this blue kit shite?” The light blue goalkeeper’s kit that Sven Ulreich wore during the Stuttgart match was almost exactly the same shade of blue as 1860 Munich’s current kits, too, which was also cause for concern for the Ultras.