Saturday’s game between Hansa Rostock and Rot-Weiss Essen in the third tier of German football was delayed after a train carrying around 700 away fans was attacked by approximately 200 hooligans.
The masked mob, believed to be an organised group from Rostock, threw rocks, fireworks and various other items at the train after it stopped in thick fog near Gransee.
Witnesses claim that multiple windows were smashed, before around 150 Essen fans got off the train – which had been specially chartered for Saturday’s game – to fight outside.
However, according to local news site WAZ, this was not thought to have been a pre-arranged fight between two rival gangs, but rather an ambush by those who attacked the train.
Due to the incident, kick off was pushed back by 30 minutes. However, it is unlikely that the train will have arrived in time for those on it to get to the Ostseestadion in time for the start of the game.
A group of masked hooligans pictured attacking a train carrying Rot-Weiss Essen supporters
Windows were smashed after rocks, fireworks and various other items were thrown at the train
Saturday afternoon’s game was held at Hansa Rostock’s 29,000-capacity Ostseestadion home
A statement issued by Hansa Rostock in the early afternoon read: ‘Due to the delayed arrival of the visiting fans from Essen, the game will kick off at 14:30’.
Rot-Weiss Essen published a similar message, which also did not reference the unrest on the train.
Prior to Saturday, Hansa Rostock and Rot-Weiss Essen had not met in a league fixture since 2007.
