Braunschweig Fans Plan Boycott of Hannover Match

In response to the partial exclusion of guest fans for the upcoming 2. Bundesliga match between Hannover 96 and Eintracht Braunschweig, the organized fan scene from Braunschweig has decided to completely boycott the Niedersachsen-Derby scheduled for Sunday. According to the club, Eintracht sold only 824 tickets for the guest block at the Heinz von Heiden Arena, which has a capacity of around 4,500. A maximum of 2,500 fans are allowed due to a police order for the event on Sunday at 1:30 PM (Sky).

Braunschweig’s coach, Daniel Scherning, expressed disappointment over the situation, stating, „My opinion hasn’t changed: it’s a shame that the match won’t take place in a full stadium. Because that’s what football is about: the experience of being able to play such a derby with fans and the atmosphere on both sides.“

Concerns of Violence: Past Incidents

There have been numerous incidents of violence at matches between the two rival clubs in recent years. As a result, Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister, Daniela Behrens (SPD), initially threatened to hold future matches between Hannover and Braunschweig without any guest fans.

Ultimately, the police decided to allow only a maximum of 60% of guest fans for both the first match in Braunschweig and the return match in Hannover for safety reasons. Braunschweig fans protested against this decision last week in downtown Hannover.

A concerning incident highlighting the risks of this strategy occurred in October following the first match, when approximately 50 Hannover fans attacked over 100 Braunschweig supporters in a bar located about 15 kilometers from the heavily secured stadium. The Hannover police department indicated that such potential „third-party confrontations“ are a factor in their planning for Sunday’s match.