Bochum Awarded Three Points After Union Berlin Fan's Incident

Union Berlin has been docked a point and Bochum awarded three points after a fan threw a lighter at Bochum's goalkeeper during a Bundesliga match.

Union Berlin has been docked the point they earned in a 1-1 Bundesliga draw against Bochum in December, with the German FA (DFB) court instead awarding all three points to Bochum. The decision was made after a fan threw a lighter at Bochum's goalkeeper, Patrick Drewes, during the match.

The incident occurred in the second minute of stoppage time, with the scores level. As Drewes prepared to take a goal kick, he was hit on the head with a cigarette lighter thrown by a Union Berlin fan. The goalkeeper was subsequently taken from the field, and the referee ordered the teams off the pitch.

After a delay of around half an hour, play resumed, but both teams agreed not to play competitively and instead kicked the ball among themselves until the clock wound down. The DFB court has now upheld Bochum's appeal against the referee's decision to play on, citing the unfair impact the incident had on Drewes' “ability to play.”

The court's decision means that Bochum has been awarded all three points from the match, which could have significant implications for the Bundesliga standings.

Union Berlin goalkeeper Lennart Drewes has spoken out about the incident that led to the abandonment of their match against Bochum, stating that he had “felt dizzy” afterwards and struggled to recall conversations with his teammates.

Stephan Oberholz, head of the DFB sports court, explained the reasoning behind the decision to award Bochum a 2-0 victory, saying “we had no other choice” due to the circumstances. Oberholz emphasized that awarding points off the pitch is “always the very last resort.”

ℹ️Das DFB-Sportgericht hat dem Einspruch des VfL gegen die Wertung des Bundesligaspiels beim 1. FC Union Berlin (1:1) stattgegeben. Die Partie wird mit 2:0 für den VfL gewertet.

Mehr hier: https://t.co/CfQXxHF1G8

— VfL Bochum 1848 (@VfLBochum1848eV) January 9, 2025

As a result of the decision, the match will be officially recorded as a 2-0 victory for Bochum, the standard scoreline used in such cases. Union Berlin has a week to decide whether to appeal the ruling, which could have significant implications for both teams, particularly Bochum, who were previously bottom of the table.

In response to the decision, Union Berlin announced that they would “make a decision” on a potential appeal “once we receive the ruling in writing.” The club is weighing its options and will take the necessary time to review the ruling before deciding on a course of action.