Brawl in amateur football: Rethwisch/Passau vs. Neumünster escalates!

Brawl in amateur football: Rethwisch/Passau vs. Neumünster escalates!

On September 6, 2025, there was a violent incident during the football game between SG Rethwisch/Passau and MTSV Olympia Neumünster on the Hermann Finck sports field that heated up tempers. Dincer Özer, player-coach of SG Rethwisch/Passau, had an uneasy feeling beforehand given the opponent's fairness rating, which counted 57 yellow cards, 4 yellow-red cards and 5 red cards last season. Despite these concerns, the game began with tough duels, which were not consistently punished by referee Florian Rüder. This would prove to be a fatal decision.

MTSV Olympia took the lead in the 31st minute, but the joy was short-lived as SG Rethwisch/Passau also equalized in that minute and followed up with two more goals in the second half (52nd and 63rd minute). After these goals, the aggressiveness on the pitch increased noticeably. The Neumünster team in particular couldn't be stopped from insults and fouls. An Olympia player who had already received a yellow card was substituted and punished with a yellow-red card a few minutes later.

Racism and violence on the pitch

Özer reported serious insults against his players, including discriminatory, racist comments against a teammate of Arab origin. The tense situation finally escalated after the final whistle when a player from Neumünster attacked an SG player with a punch in the face. This brawl resulted in several injuries, including a player who was hit in the stomach with the cleats.

The police were alerted and arrived with three patrol cars when the situation had already calmed down. Personal details and advertisements were recorded from both sides. MTSV coach Nico Steinhausen declined to comment due to ongoing investigations, while Özer locked his players in the locker room to avoid further confrontations. “It’s sad what happened here, also for our youth players who had to experience it all,” said Özer.

A call for reappraisal

It is noteworthy that referee Rüder is unlikely to prepare a special report for the Holstein district football association, which makes possible sports legal consequences uncertain. Özer expressed the wish for a joint processing of the events between the two clubs and hopes for an amicable end. The return match between the two teams is scheduled for November 16th and could offer a chance for clarification.

In the context of these incidents, it is also interesting to look at the general development in amateur football. According to the DFB, statistics show a decline in violence and discrimination on football pitches. Since the 2023/2024 season, more football has been played than in previous years, and the number of game abandonments fell by 5.5 percent compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, the incidents on the squares remain a serious issue that cannot be ignored. The DFB campaign “Year of the Referees” also focused on respectful behavior in amateur football, which is all the more important given that both games in this incident were so strongly characterized by aggression.

The current discussions about violence in sport are therefore of great importance. While the DFB tries to use its campaign to promote a positive image of amateur football, this incident shows that there is still a lot of work to do to create a safe and respectful environment.