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Watch: Fans, Police injured as pitch invasion sparks chaos at German Cup match
Police on horseback entered the pitch as the match was paused after visiting fans fired flares towards the main stand, prompting home supporters to storm the field
- PUBLISHED: Sat 22 Aug 2026, 6:17 PM
- By:
- AFP
Around 100 people, including 35 police officers, were injured after fan incidents during the German Cup first-round match between hosts Waldhof Mannheim and Kaiserslautern on Friday, local police confirmed Saturday.
Designated as high risk beforehand due to the rivalry between the teams' fans, the match was halted for around 30 minutes at the end of regulation time with the scores locked at 0-0.
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Police said fans from the visitors' end fired flares toward the main stand, with home supporters then storming the pitch in response.
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ð¨ CHAOS IN GERMANY! ð©ðªâ½ï¸
— BastiandMatti (@BastiandMatti) August 21, 2026
Waldhof Mannheim vs. 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal this was supposed to be a football match. Massive police presence, K9 units, horses on the pitch and pepper spray through the fence. The match was on the brink of being abandoned. ð³#DFBPokal pic.twitter.com/udn4q9UvdC
"A total of 85 people required medical attention, with eight transported to the hospital for further treatment," the police said in a statement.
The match was continued after a "massive police intervention on the pitch to force individuals back toward the home supporters' section using physical measures".
Almost 1,400 police officers were deployed to provide additional security at the match between the rival clubs located around 50 kilometres apart.
The match finished 1-0 after Kaiserslautern's Ibrahim Kanate scored in the 120th minute.
