Karlsruhe, Germany (dpa) – German football clubs can be sanctioned with fines if their fans misbehave during matches, the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) confirmed in a ruling announced on Thursday.
Fourth division club Carl Zeiss Jena had taken the issue to the courts after being fined 25,000 euros (29,000 dollars) for disturbances by their fans at three games in 2018.
The BGH, Germany’s highest court, confirmed earlier rulings that the nation’s football federation DFB can continue holding clubs responsible for the behaviour of fans in stadiums before, during and after games.
The BGH said the current DFB practice did not violate any fundamental principles of the legal system. The sanctions are purely preventive measures which are permissible even when clubs are not at fault.
Fan organizations had hoped for an end of such collective punishment which has led to a long-standing dispute between them and the DFB.
Jena originally lost their case at a DFB arbitration court, and that ruling was confirmed by a higher regional court in Frankfurt. The BGH hearing took place on July 1 and Thursday’s ruling is binding.
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