This weekend, FC St. Pauli won a thrilling match 1-0 against Hansa Rostock. However, after the final whistle, the events on the pitch were barely discussed due to the behaviour of the Hansa supporters. St. Pauli's president, Oke Göttlich, even raised the possibility of point deductions for future incidents. FanQ asked German football fans for their opinions on this matter.

Injured in riots in the northern derby – Demand for sporting sanctions

Six games without defeat and four wins in a row recently. FC St. Pauli welcomed FC Hansa Rostock for the northern clash last Sunday with plenty of confidence and anticipation in their luggage. Jackson Irvine gave Hamburg the lead after 25 minutes with a header. Inspired by their success, the Kiezkickers pressed for the second goal and had luck on their side when Hansa failed to capitalise on a triple chance to equalise shortly before the break. After the restart, Rostock failed to create any serious danger in front of goal and now have to look further down the table. The gap to the relegation place is four points. St Pauli climbed to seventh place with their fifth three-pointer in a row. However, there was no great joy on the brown and white side. This was mainly due to the events surrounding the match at the sold-out Millerntor Stadium. „We have to talk to the DFL about how we can counter such offences in some way,“ said Pauli president Oke Göttlich in the evening on „Sportclub“. During the match, at least one steward and one St. Pauli supporter were injured in the rioting by away fans. Firecrackers and projectiles were used in the visitors„ block. Ceramic pieces flew around. The setting off of pyrotechnics and shooting of fireworks into neighbouring stands meant that referee Benjamin Brand only allowed the second half to resume after a ten-minute delay. The home fans had also made use of pyrotechnics in between. There was also damage to property on trains and at railway stations on the return journey of the Rostock fans. In the run-up to the high-risk match, the police had described the situation as “largely calm„. Several hundred officers were deployed, no alcoholic drinks were sold in the stadium and a buffer was set up between the opposing fan camps. Nevertheless, the escalation could not be prevented. It was not only the Kiezkickers who were horrified by the events. “They're just complete idiots. I distance myself from them, they have nothing to do with Hansa Rostock," said Hansa's CEO Robert Marien.

You want your voice to count too. Vote here!

Nevertheless, his club must fear high costs. During an inspection of the stadium, St. Pauli discovered damage in the guest area in the mid five-figure range. The costs will be charged to Rostock. In addition, there is a charge of criminal damage to property. The Hamburg club announced that washbasins in the sanitary facilities in the guest block had been destroyed and electronics ripped out of the ceiling panelling. There was also an attempt to set fire to the area. The club also discovered „homophobic and right-wing extremist“ stickers. A rainbow flag had also been banned. Hansa Rostock announced a thorough investigation into the incidents and would „take appropriate action if the perpetrator is identified“. The club's statement will not change the fact that it also faces a severe penalty from the DFB. For Göttlich, this is absolutely necessary, but not sufficient. He emphasised that the German Football League (DFL) would certainly have to discuss „to what extent the clubs can be sanctioned not only financially - because most of them are not interested in that - but also in sporting terms“.

The 47-year-old sees point deductions as a more effective punishment for offences committed by fans. In this context, FanQ asked football fans whether they agreed with the Pauli president's proposal. For the majority of them, Göttlich is initiating an important discussion. 63.1 % of the survey participants call for tougher penalties that go beyond financial aspects. For 23.9 %, on the other hand, fines are still sufficient and rioting should not result in any sporting consequences. In his final plea and impetus for discussion, Göttlich emphasised that the increased transgression of boundaries is not the sole problem of Hansa Rostock or FC St. Pauli. It had become worse in many stadiums in recent months, explained the head of the neighbourhood club.