The sports of soccer receives the focus in this piece of writing. Credit: ChatGPT - Düsseldorf and the relegation: reminiscing about stolen penalties
Hans E. Lorenz can still recall the chaotic scenes of the stolen penalty spot. During the Bundesliga relegation play-off between Fortuna Düsseldorf and Hertha BSC, there were only two minutes left when the soccer field became obscured by a sudden pitch storm.
"It's complete bedlam out there!" exclaimed ARD reporter Tom Bartels on May 15, 2012. As the presiding judge of the DFB sports court, Lorenz would later learn how this "bedlam" was to be judged.
"It's an image that's stayed with me"
"The memories are still quite clear, as it was definitely a remarkable occurrence," the 73-year-old recounted to the German Press Agency. With celebrations for Düsseldorf's presumed promotion already underway, it was uncertain whether the game could continue. One over-exuberant fan even pinched the penalty spot and received a stadium ban. This event marked the last Bundesliga relegation match in Düsseldorf, taking place this Monday (8.30 pm/Sat.1 and Sky).
Following a long interruption, the match went on to finish normally. Post-match events were tense, resulting in unpleasant scenes in the dressing room corridor; Hertha player Lewan Kobiaschwili assaulted referee Wolfgang Stark. Kobiashvili was suspended for seven and a half months - one of the longest bans in Lorenz' career as a judge.
An Appeal to the Bundesliga
"Hertha BSC filed an appeal against our decision. We deliberated for two days on the case because it took seven hours to collect evidence. We heard the case on Friday and publicized the verdict on Monday," Lorenz remembered. He referred to the actual decision made by the referee, who was under intense scrutiny. Hertha then appealed to the national court, but also lost there.
Loranz retold a funny story that happened a year later. By then, Düsseldorf had been relegated, and Hertha was back in the Bundesliga. He met Michael Preetz at the German Champions League final in London and said, "Congratulations." Preetz simply responded with a somewhat flippant, "Well, you still won't be an honorary member of our club."
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Source: www.stern.de
