Before the Bundesliga game Schalke 04 against SC Freiburg, the long-suffering fans of the Royal Blues present a choreo. Suddenly, blue smoke breaks out and covers the playing field. The game is briefly interrupted. Later, the police scolded and the club drew the first consequences.
FC Schalke 04 just doesn’t want to rest. Sportingly still on the ground after the 0:2 against SC Freiburg, plagued by injuries and shaken by the departure of sports director Rouven Schröder, the game against the high-flyers from Breisgau under the new coach Thomas Reis should actually turn the tide.
But while the next defeat was raining down on the pitch, the remarkable but controversial choreography of the loyal Schalke supporters on the north stand caused a lot of trouble. The fans had also burned smoke pots, thereby violating the safety concept worked out with the local authorities.
The police complained about a loss of confidence and said that the smoke “affected both the spectators and the teams of both clubs”. Therefore, “until further notice, the club’s security concept will no longer be approved as soon as choreographies are registered”. Appropriate criminal proceedings will be initiated.
The blue smoke settled over the Veltins Arena pitch in the first few minutes. Referee Christian Dingert therefore felt compelled to interrupt the game briefly in the early stages of the game due to the obstructed view. Even if not every day, there are always short interruptions of this kind in the Bundesliga.
Rarely, however, do they have such consequences. “In the run-up to the FC Schalke 04 game against SC Freiburg, a choreography was registered with the club and approved by the police and the Gelsenkirchen fire brigade. However, the use of blue smoke was neither part of the registration nor the approval,” said a statement the royal blue. “Following the announcement by the Gelsenkirchen police and fire brigade on Sunday evening, the question of carrying out further choreographies does not arise at this point in time,” said the bottom of the Bundesliga table.
Nevertheless, the Ruhr area giant, whose greatest asset is its own fan base, continues to rely on dialogue: “The need for a security concept coordinated with the authorities for the implementation of the Bundesliga home games is undisputed. The aim of the club is always to protect the interests of the fans to the greatest possible extent measure to take into account,” it said. “Accordingly, we will speak to everyone involved to get back on a common path.”
At least with the police, this dialogue has already begun, Schalke announced. They signaled to the club “that there is 100 percent mutual trust between those responsible”. What this dialogue can achieve will not be seen until 2023 at the earliest. In the two remaining home games before the World Cup against FSV Mainz 05 and Bayern Munich, however, there will certainly be no more choreos. Whether these were planned at all is more than unlikely anyway.
