Berlin, March 19. (dpa/EP) –
The German Football Federation (DFB) announced this Saturday that it is already investigating the suspension of the Bundesliga match between Bochum and Borussia Mönchengladbach after a line judge was hit by a plastic cup thrown from the stands.
The DFB said it would first review reports from the match referee and security forces, as well as television footage, while launching an investigation against local club Bochum.
The chairman of the DFB control commission, Anton Nachreiner, acknowledged that “it would be important for Bochum to do everything possible to identify the offender and then hold him accountable to the last consequences.”
The DFB said its disciplinary body will decide the final result of the match, whose scoreline Gladbach led 2-0 at the time of the suspension. The DFB explained that the team not responsible in such a case is declared the winner by 2-0, or by the result achieved at that time if it is more bulky.
The match was suspended on Friday night after assistant Christian Gittelmann was hit in the head with a glass around the 70th minute, after which he was escorted by referee Benjamin Cortus to the locker room. The furious Bochum players argued with the fans in the stands from which the glass was thrown before also leaving the field together with the away team.
Gittelmann is already at home and is recovering. “The blow took its toll on me, especially since he hit me squarely and unexpectedly in the head,” the 39-year-old linesman said in an interview published on the DFB website today. “After the incident, I had myself examined yesterday (Friday) at the hospital as a precaution. I was diagnosed with a contusion to the skull and whiplash,” he explained, stating that the blow left him “stunned.”
“Now I will take a few days to rest and process the matter,” Gittelmann said. “I will be delighted to return to the pitch as soon as possible. I have an international call-up scheduled for next weekend,” he assured.