Sports

Things that people got worked up about in 2016-2017

Brutal fouls, hate-filled banners, disputes on the touchline, and questionable calls. Like every other season, 2016-17 provided fans, players and coaches with plenty to get upset about - often for the wrong reasons.

No contact

In the second minute of play in the match against Schalke in Leipzig, RB's Timo Werner goes down in the box, although keeper Ralf Fährmann never made contact with the striker. Werner admits as much in a television interview after the match and apologizes for diving. This didn't stop him from converting the resulting penalty, which he did - much to the disgust of Schalke and other Bundesliga fans.
Brutal tackle

Mainz' Jose Rodriguez definitely did make contact with Augsburg's Dominik Kohr. Rodriguez, playing in his first game in the Bundesliga, went into a tackle with his studs showing, opening up a deep cut on Kohr's lower leg and putting him out of action for three weeks. Rodriguez, who was nowhere near winning the ball,was given a straight red card and a five-match ban.
Unacceptable

Just how much contempt some of BVB's supporters have for RB Leipzig became clear when the teams met in Dortmund for the first time. Outside of the stadium, some Leipzig fans, including women and children were attacked. On the famous south stand, banners were unfurled insulting Leipzig and their backers, Red Bull. As a result, the league ordered that the stand remain empty for BVB's next home game.
Small-lettered insult

Cologne's ultras see SAP boss and Hoffenheim patron Dietmar Hopp as their version of the football devil. "Mother: whore, father: Nazi" is what they wrote on one banner. However, they did so in such small lettering, almost nobody could read it. However, some body did catch it and Cologne apologized to Hopp and Hoffenheim over the incident, which is under investigation by the German FA.
Nobody leaves...

As for the Leverkusen fans, their biggest problem was with their own team. The Werkself performed to their potential only on the odd occasion. After a 4-1 home defeat to Schalke, which took them closer to the relegation zone, some of the fans staged a blockade, preventing the players from leaving. Stefan Kiessling rescued the situation by promising the fans a win over their archrivals, Cologne.
Delayed punishment

Amid Leverkusen's woes this past season, came the news in February that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had imposed a four-month ban on Hakan Calhanoglu. In 2011, when Calhanoglu was still 17, he had signed a contract with Trabzonspor, before agreeing to a transfer from Karlsruhe to Hamburg. The Turkish club pursued the matter at the CAS and won - ending Calhanoglu's season prematurely.
Vague definition

Much talk this season has been about the vague hand-ball rule. Was that hand-ball deliberate, or not? Was it a "natural movement?" Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel told reporters at one point, that he had no idea what the definition was anymore. In Ingolstadt, Lars Stindl (above) scored a goal with his hand. "It wasn't deliberate, but it wasn't above board either," he said afterwards. It counted.
Not his best day at the office...

Highly respected referee Felix Brych didn't have his best day in a match between Dortmund and Hoffenheim for third place. On Marco Reus' goal, Brych and his linesman failed to catch the fact that it was offside. Brych also missed a hand-ball in the play leading up to a call to give Dortmund a penalty." Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failed to convert the spot kick. Poetic justice?
Not the best of friends

Dortmund wound up finishing in third, just above Hoffenheim, meaning direct qualification for the Champions League. BVB's coach Thomas Tuchel (right) will probably be forced to leave anyway. He and the chairman, Hans-Joachim Watzke, (left) have been at loggerheads for weeks and in view of their very public spat, it would come as a big surprise if Tuchel were to be on the BVB touchline in August.
Touchline confontation

It is no secret that Roger Schmidt can be prickly at times. Last season, he paused a game between Leverkusen and Dortmund after refusing to leave the touchline after being ejected by the referee. This season, he responded to an appeal for a penalty by Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann by calling him a "nut job" and telling him "shut your trap." Schmidt was handed a two-match ban.
Just another fan?

Pierre-Michel Lasogga is led off by stewards after the last game of the season in Hamburg. The injured Lasogga had made his way down from the stands to try to join his teammates in the celebrations after they had just avoided relegation - again. The stewards obviously aren't HSV fans, as they took him for just another supporter trying to invade the pitch. Lasogga was eventually let through.

No contact

In the second minute of play in the match against Schalke in Leipzig, RB's Timo Werner goes down in the box, although keeper Ralf Fährmann never made contact with the striker. Werner admits as much in a television interview after the match and apologizes for diving. This didn't stop him from converting the resulting penalty, which he did - much to the disgust of Schalke and other Bundesliga fans.
Brutal tackle

Mainz' Jose Rodriguez definitely did make contact with Augsburg's Dominik Kohr. Rodriguez, playing in his first game in the Bundesliga, went into a tackle with his studs showing, opening up a deep cut on Kohr's lower leg and putting him out of action for three weeks. Rodriguez, who was nowhere near winning the ball,was given a straight red card and a five-match ban.
Unacceptable

Just how much contempt some of BVB's supporters have for RB Leipzig became clear when the teams met in Dortmund for the first time. Outside of the stadium, some Leipzig fans, including women and children were attacked. On the famous south stand, banners were unfurled insulting Leipzig and their backers, Red Bull. As a result, the league ordered that the stand remain empty for BVB's next home game.
Small-lettered insult

Cologne's ultras see SAP boss and Hoffenheim patron Dietmar Hopp as their version of the football devil. "Mother: whore, father: Nazi" is what they wrote on one banner. However, they did so in such small lettering, almost nobody could read it. However, some body did catch it and Cologne apologized to Hopp and Hoffenheim over the incident, which is under investigation by the German FA.
Nobody leaves...

As for the Leverkusen fans, their biggest problem was with their own team. The Werkself performed to their potential only on the odd occasion. After a 4-1 home defeat to Schalke, which took them closer to the relegation zone, some of the fans staged a blockade, preventing the players from leaving. Stefan Kiessling rescued the situation by promising the fans a win over their archrivals, Cologne.
Delayed punishment

Amid Leverkusen's woes this past season, came the news in February that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had imposed a four-month ban on Hakan Calhanoglu. In 2011, when Calhanoglu was still 17, he had signed a contract with Trabzonspor, before agreeing to a transfer from Karlsruhe to Hamburg. The Turkish club pursued the matter at the CAS and won - ending Calhanoglu's season prematurely.
Vague definition

Much talk this season has been about the vague hand-ball rule. Was that hand-ball deliberate, or not? Was it a "natural movement?" Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel told reporters at one point, that he had no idea what the definition was anymore. In Ingolstadt, Lars Stindl (above) scored a goal with his hand. "It wasn't deliberate, but it wasn't above board either," he said afterwards. It counted.
Not his best day at the office...

Highly respected referee Felix Brych didn't have his best day in a match between Dortmund and Hoffenheim for third place. On Marco Reus' goal, Brych and his linesman failed to catch the fact that it was offside. Brych also missed a hand-ball in the play leading up to a call to give Dortmund a penalty." Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failed to convert the spot kick. Poetic justice?
Not the best of friends

Dortmund wound up finishing in third, just above Hoffenheim, meaning direct qualification for the Champions League. BVB's coach Thomas Tuchel (right) will probably be forced to leave anyway. He and the chairman, Hans-Joachim Watzke, (left) have been at loggerheads for weeks and in view of their very public spat, it would come as a big surprise if Tuchel were to be on the BVB touchline in August.
Touchline confontation

It is no secret that Roger Schmidt can be prickly at times. Last season, he paused a game between Leverkusen and Dortmund after refusing to leave the touchline after being ejected by the referee. This season, he responded to an appeal for a penalty by Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann by calling him a "nut job" and telling him "shut your trap." Schmidt was handed a two-match ban.
Just another fan?

Pierre-Michel Lasogga is led off by stewards after the last game of the season in Hamburg. The injured Lasogga had made his way down from the stands to try to join his teammates in the celebrations after they had just avoided relegation - again. The stewards obviously aren't HSV fans, as they took him for just another supporter trying to invade the pitch. Lasogga was eventually let through.

Date 22.05.2017
Number of pictures 11
Author Andreas Sten-Ziemons (pfd)
Send us your feedback.
Print Print this page
Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2dKFY

SPECIAL

Sports

Things that people got worked up about in 2016-2017

No contact

Brutal tackle

Unacceptable

Small-lettered insult

Nobody leaves...

Delayed punishment

Vague definition

Not his best day at the office...

Not the best of friends

Touchline confontation

Just another fan?