On Friday evening, the Bundesliga 2 season kicked off with a surprising delay. Hertha Berlin faced Bochum at Bochum’s stadium and won 1-0, but the match did not start smoothly.
The reason for the hold-up was a banner unfurled by fans in the home section. Around 13 minutes after kick-off, referee Wolfgang Haslberger warned the supporters to remove the banner. They ignored his request, leading to a pause until the issue was resolved.
The problem lay not with the message on the banner but its placement: it covered an exit sign below the stands. The banner read: “The relic of the working-class club: We work, you rake it in.”
After a 13-minute warning period, Haslberger spoke to the captains Timo Horn and Josip Brekalo. Six minutes later, the Hertha fans finally rolled up the banner.
This issue is not new; similar incidents have occurred with Stuttgart and Gladbach fans covering exit signs while Bochum played in the Bundesliga.
